Mr and Mrs G Smith
by LostForeverInHisEyes
Summary: "Just saying, six weeks is your limit, then you're out of there." Sam's comment comes back to bite Callen. There's a girl he's actually interested in, yet neither are what they seem. Romance/fun with a little action thrown in for good measure. Callen/OC
1. Chapter 1

_Author notes:_

_Full Summary:_

_"Just saying, six weeks is your limit, then you're out of there." Sam's comment comes back to bite Callen quicker than expected. There's a girl he's actually interested in, yet neither are what they seem. Between that and everything else that happens, will they ever get around to getting together? Romance/fun with a little action thrown in for good measure. Warning - Definitely plenty of fluff involved! _

_Slightly AU, set in the world where there is Deeks, but no reference to any actual Season 2 episodes so no spoilers.  
_

_Based on a plot bunny idea from TXJ in the NCIS LA: The Case of the Rabid Plot Bunnies forum. Some parts inspired by the movie Mr and Mrs Smith. Callen/OC_

_Thanks once again to TXJ for throwing this idea out there. It's been fun. It has taken a while (about 5 1/2 months) to get this story up and running, having been sidetracked with others, but now let's see how I went this time.  
_

_For those of you following Compromised, this story won't be affecting updates for that one. I'm still on track for two/three updates a week for Compromised. This one will most likely got a little faster as the chapters are much shorter and the story not as twisted! Or as long._

_Reviews and constructive critiscm most welcome.  
_

_Hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer – Don't own anything NCIS LA related, Mr and Mrs Smith (the movie) related or anything else you recognise as belonging to someone else. Will claim some parts of the plot and OC as mine, though some is TXJ's – she'll know which parts._

_Let's get started...  
_

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**Chapter 1**

Callen was lying back on the couch, she was on top of him; their legs tangled intimately together. His hand was secured in her silky brown hair. He held her close, kissed and explored her warm, sweet mouth and soft lips.

Her shirt had disappeared off her back a while ago and the buttons on his were mostly undone. Her fingers were gently making their way over his shoulders and what part of his chest she could reach. She pulled back from the kiss and turned her attention to his neck.

She moved slowly down and Callen closed his eyes, allowing himself one more moment of enjoyment before he pulled her back up and looked into her eyes. Those blue-green ones which clearly showed him how she felt, what she wanted and what she knew was coming.

"I have to go," Callen admitted softly and very reluctantly.

She moaned low in her throat and shook her head. "Stay," she whispered.

He wanted to, he really did.

"Have to get up early. Can't be late," Callen replied. It wasn't a lie. He had an early meeting with Hetty and the Director in the morning.

"Maybe you should change jobs," she joked lightly. "Construction and sleeping late don't really mix."

"Is that what we'd be doing? Sleeping," Callen teased. A stab of guilt flared at what she believed he did.

She smiled and her tongue darted over her lips. "Stay and find out," she invited, just before her lips claimed his again, tempting him once more.

"I can't be late," Callen protested. Though he wasn't quite sure if he was saying it as a condition to staying or a reason to leave.

"I'll set an alarm," she responded, her eyes pleading with him.

"Don't want to rush this," Callen admitted. He didn't. There was something about being with her, something that made him feel almost normal, like a regular guy with his girl. Okay, so she didn't know his real name or what he did. She thought his name was Gary and that he was in construction. She did call him G, which eased his guilt slightly. He'd told her he never really liked Gary and she'd asked what he wanted her to call him. In a moment of weakness he'd said G.

She raised herself up a little and looked down at him. He kept his eyes on her face, not the enticing view a little further below.

"You're not rushing me, if that's what you're worried about," she assured him.

Callen shook his head. It wasn't her. It was him.

"We both want this, right?" she asked. Callen saw the doubt flicker in her eyes at whether he did or not.

"Luce, you know I do."

"So?"

Callen shook his head reluctantly. She rolled her eyes, sat up and pulled him up to her. She slipped her arms round his neck and put her forehead to his.

"Can't change your mind?" she asked softly.

Callen chuckled. "Probably can, but..." He ran his hands lightly up her back. He stopped at the clasp on her bra strap, wondering whether he was being an idiot for not taking her up on the offer when, as she so rightly put it, they both wanted this. And they were both adults.

"But ... you have to go," she finished for him as she moved off him and the couch. She held her hand out. Callen took it and she pulled him up, ending up in his arms again.

She looked up at him. "So how long before you stop torturing me?" She stepped back slightly and, whilst waiting for his answer, started doing up the buttons on his shirt. He ran his fingers over her shoulders, wondering how to answer her.

She looked up, raised her eyebrows expectantly. Callen's hand slid down her arms, her skin so soft. Maybe it was time.

He smiled. Decision made. "I don't have to work on the weekend." He'd make sure of it.

"So, tomorrow?" she asked.

"Tomorrow night," Callen confirmed, before she decided to find a way to keep him here past midnight and claim it was now tomorrow.

She smiled cheekily. "Don't forget your work clothes."

"Why?"

"If you think after all this time I'm letting you out of here before Monday, you really don't know me at all."

"You're going to keep me for the weekend," Callen confirmed as she finished the last button and then turned to search the couch for her shirt. Finding it under a cushion, she slipped it over her head and turned back to him.

"You've made me wait. I intend on making the most of you," she teased lightly as she stepped back into his arms. It felt so right being with her. Doubts slipped into his mind again about his choice to walk out the door tonight.

"Sounds good," Callen replied softly. He ran a finger over her lips. Her tongue dart out and he groaned, pulled her close and kissed her again.

"You … behave," he added when he pulled back. "For now."

She smiled and stepped back, taking his hand and walking him to the door. She picked up something off the stand next to it, and slipped it into his hand. Callen looked down. It was a key.

"I'll be home by six," she said. "Come over whenever you're ready."

Callen looked back to her and she smiled again. He could get used to seeing that smile every day. What was he saying, he already was. It was just unfortunate that he didn't get to see it every day. It had been five weeks and he had only managed to see her twice a week on average since the beginning, even if sometimes it was only briefly at lunch. Unfortunately, work hadn't been exactly co-operating with him to give him more opportunities.

"Can't guarantee I'll be ready," she added mischievously. "Might find me in the bath if you turn up early."

"Goodnight Lucy," Callen said firmly before she put too many more reasons in his mind about why he should be staying. He picked up his bag from beside the door and stepped out glancing back at her as he did.

"Thanks for the shopping trip," he added.

"Anytime. Goodnight G," she replied before she closed the door and locked it behind him.

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Callen sat in his car, gazing at her apartment. He watched as the lights went out in the lounge room, where they had just been, saw them go on in the bedroom. A few minutes later they too went out. His thumb rubbed over the key that was still in his hand, tempting him to go back to her; to slip through that front door, join her in her bed, hold her as she slept. He shook his head to stop the train of thought before it could get too far down the track of what they'd be doing instead of sleeping. He slipped the key into his wallet and started the car.

Lying in his own bed, alone, less than half an hour later, he again asked himself why. Why hadn't he stayed? The answer came to him fairly easily. He'd known it since the beginning. He wanted this to work. This wasn't just a fling, or a few weeks of enjoyment and release of certain frustrations. Being around her, spending time with her, was an escape from his hectic, dangerous, sometimes overwhelming work life and he didn't want to mess it up. She gave him a sense of normality, a life outside of work. He'd wanted the decision to stay and be with her to be made when they were both ready, not a heat of the moment one. Like he'd been able to make tonight, concerning the weekend. That thought reminded him he had one very important thing to do tomorrow before he left work. He needed to talk to Hetty about telling Lucy the truth. Because he wasn't going to take that next step until she knew who he really was, or at least as much as he was allowed to tell her, given the confidentiality clauses in his employment contract - clauses he'd never really had a problem with until now. He would tell her what he could first thing when he arrived tomorrow night and hope that she still wanted him after that.

Finally Callen closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_A.N - Thanks for the awesome response. On we go.  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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_

**Chapter 2**

Callen's phone rang, pulling him abruptly out of his sleep and from a dream of a certain brunette with blue-green eyes and a body he was looking forward to getting to know for real, not just in his dreams.

"What?" he answered gruffly.

"Grumpy this morning aren't you? Get out of the wrong side of the bed?" Sam's voice greeted him. A voice that was most definitely not asleep, or one from his dreams.

"What is it, Sam?" Callen asked, ignoring his partner's questions.

"Maybe it was the wrong bed," Sam added.

Callen sat up, rubbed his face with his other hand and looked at the clock beside his bed, whilst thinking how right Sam was. Most definitely the wrong bed.

"Sam, it's five thirty in the morning. What's wrong?" Callen knew they had to be at work early but not this early.

"Coming to get you. Hetty called. Wants us at the boathouse in half an hour. Apparently something's up," Sam answered, his tone now slightly more serious.

Callen could hear the sound of the car door closing and his brain clicked into gear. If Sam was leaving now, that would give him ten minutes to get himself dressed, awake and alert enough to handle any wisecracks Sam might continue to throw at him on the way. He pushed the sheets away that were tangled around his legs and stood up.

"I'll be ready," Callen replied.

"Just you? No mysterious companion?"

"Goodbye Sam," he added firmly and hung up. Usually Callen didn't regret telling Sam about the women he occasionally dated. This time he might. The teasing normally just rolled off him. With Lucy it was different. She wasn't like the rest.

Five minutes later, showered, but not shaved, Callen was dressed and ready. He grabbed an apple from the fridge and walked out to the kerb to wait for Sam.

Two minutes later, Sam arrived.

"Didn't want me to see the new girl?" Sam teased him.

"She's not here, Sam. What's the deal? Hetty tell you anything?" Callen asked, hoping to send Sam's mind in a different direction.

"Something about an NCIS agent being in trouble and needing our help."

"Who?" Callen frowned. One of their own? He was momentarily glad he'd only had an apple, as his stomach rolled briefly at the memories of finding and losing Dom.

"Apparently one we've never met. Kensi and Deeks are meeting us there. Assuming Hetty will be too."

"That's all she told you?" Callen queried, the frown still in place.

Sam turned to him and rolled his eyes. "You want to try and get any more out of Hetty before she's ready to tell us, feel free to call her."

"As if you don't want to know," Callen shot back.

"Yeah, but I'm not stupid enough to annoy our intrepid leader with questions at five thirty in the morning."

"But you are with me?"

Sam glanced sideways at him briefly before turning his attention back to his driving. "Is that your way of telling me to shut up about the girl that you refuse to name?" Sam asked.

"Guess you're right. Not stupid after all."

Sam looked at him briefly, a frown on his face, but turned back to focus on driving. He refrained from commenting any further during the drive, he knew his partner well and knew he wouldn't get anything out of him easily. Sam decided to wait until they were inside to resume his questioning about the girl. He didn't want to have to tell Hetty this early in the morning that he'd scratched the paintwork on the Challenger because he had been distracted with grilling Callen on his current dating situation.

They arrived at the boathouse to find it empty. Callen walked over and started the coffee machine going. He had a feeling he was going to need a constant stream to keep his mind alert and focused on the mission, and not on tonight or this weekend; his dreams were still vivid in his mind and he didn't want to get distracted if there was an agent in trouble. He frowned slightly, wondering if he might have to disappoint her, okay both of them, if this got too involved.

Sam came up to him and leaned against the wall whilst they waited for the coffee.

"So, when are you going to dump this one?" Sam asked.

Callen's frown deepend and he turned to his partner, confused. "What?"

"Miss No Name. It's been five weeks hasn't it?"

"So?" That feeling of regret resurfaced and he was definitely glad that this time he had kept her name to himself. Callen didn't really know how to tell Sam that this time it was different. He didn't even know if Sam would believe him and he wasn't entirely sure what would be worse. Sam's teasing about his lack of a decent woman or what advice might come from his married partner if he had one. Teasing or advice? Callen couldn't decide which would end up being the lesser evil.

"So, five weeks. What's wrong with this one?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Callen admitted.

"Nothing?" Sam echoed, a shocked expression on his face.

"Nothing is wrong with her okay," Callen repeated. She was smart, funny, easy going and gorgeous. She liked him, what she knew of him anyway. Most of what Callen had told her had bordered on the truth.

"Nothing?" Sam sounded like he was stuck on a one word track on a record.

"Back off, Sam," Callen warned seriously. This was still new to him. Having someone he was interested in sticking it out with. Not trying to find the slightest reason to stop seeing her.

"Just saying, six weeks is your limit, then you're out of there."

Callen was about to respond when Kensi's voice came from behind them.

"Sorry to interrupt the dissection of Callen's love life, or coming lack of one, but we have a mission."

Callen turned around, a sharp retort on the tip of his tongue, which disappeared as his eyes settled on a brunette, not Kensi, with blue-green eyes and a horrified expression on her face.

"Special Agents G Callen and Sam Hanna, this is Special Agent Mika Davis."

Callen couldn't take his eyes of her as the name Kensi had said rolled around in his head. Mika? Special Agent? Oh, this was not good.

Sam nodded and then nudged him. Callen finally looked briefly to his partner who frowned, but his gaze returned quickly to the woman who he'd been dreaming about this morning. Who he wasn't expecting to see until tonight.

"But you two already know each other," Deeks commented. There was an amused tone to Deeks' comment that got on Callen's nerves instantly, like Deeks knew something.

"Sort of. We're dating," Special Agent Mika Davis, more commonly known to him as Lucy, replied, still looking at him.

Callen noticed her look wasn't entirely friendly and he thought back to what she might have overheard. Inwardly he groaned as he remembered the last thing Sam had said before Kensi had spoken up. _"Just saying, six weeks is your limit, then you're out of there."_ Add to that Kensi's follow up and it really didn't look promising for a happy reunion right now.

"Were," Callen heard Sam mutter under his breath as he too, seemed to pick up on the tension between the two of them. He turned to glare at Sam. So did Lucy … Mika. Hell, he didn't even know what to call her right now. Callen turned back to her to catch the tail end of the glare she had shot Sam, only to have it turned on him.

"She's the one you've been dating?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Callen admitted in a tone which he hoped would shut Sam up. Right now wasn't the time. He didn't want to be answering Sam's question, not when he had a whole lot he wanted to ask Lucy, he'd stick with that for now. Their relationship had suddenly got a whole lot more complicated than he ever imagined it would. They'd both been lying to one another. The main question now was, how much?

Lucy turned to Kensi. "Is there a bathroom here?" she asked. Callen could hear the tension in her voice.

Kensi nodded and pointed in the right direction. With a brief glance at him that barely gave Callen a chance to register the pain in her eyes, Lucy turned away and walked off. He could see her holding her hands clenched beside her. She was mad. Though she wasn't the only one who had been lied to. Seems she hadn't even given him anything close to her name. They moved away from the coffee and sat down.

"She's cute Callen," Kensi said with a wink. "Didn't think brunettes were your type though, nor badges for that matter."

"Kenz, don't. This is not good. When's Hetty getting here?" Callen asked. He wanted to know what was going on with this mission. Sam had been told an agent was in trouble. He really didn't like idea that his Luce, and yes, he did consider her his, might be that agent and hoped that this was just a coincidence; a painful, awkward coincidence that would require one hell of a talk, but at least she would be safe.

"She's on her way," Deeks answered. "We called her once we had Mika."

Callen frowned at the familiarity he heard in Deeks' voice. "You went and picked her up at her place?" he asked. He wondered how that would have gone if he'd given in and stayed.

Kensi nodded. "Yeah, Hetty called and practically ordered an immediate extraction. She was still asleep and we had to break in so we didn't disturb any neighbours."

Deeks raised his eyebrows suggestively and Callen's eyes narrowed at Deeks, wondering what had prompted that look. He also had to fight off the urge to have his fist come into close contact with Deeks' face at the thought of him being in her bedroom.

Callen struggled to fight off the very unprofessional thought. Deeks had been there with Kensi, it wasn't like he'd been there alone.

Lucy came out of the bathroom and Callen watched her head straight to the coffee machine, determinedly avoiding looking at him. Sam eyed him and Callen shook his head to ward off any further questions. Callen stood up and moved to join her.

"So, you're not in construction," Lucy stated bluntly.

"And you're not a temp," Callen countered. He got himself some coffee and watched her dump spoonful after spoonful of sugar into hers.

"Not exactly," Lucy replied.

Callen put his hand on hers when she got up to six. She liked sugar in her coffee, but this was way more than normal.

Callen heard her sigh. She pushed the coffee cup away and started again.

"Anything else you haven't told me Lucy, sorry Mika?" he asked.

"Like you've told me everything, _Agent_ Callen," Lucy replied sarcastically.

"At least I gave you the right name."

Lucy continued to avoid looking at him as she spoke. "Middle name's Lucille. Personally these days, I prefer Lucy over Mika or Mikeyla. It was my cover as well, okay. It wasn't that far off." Lucy took a sip of the coffee, now she had managed to control it to just two sugars. She set it down and turned to him.

"You know what, maybe we should just assume that everything we've ever told each other was a lie," Lucy said.

Callen felt an ache in his chest when she finally looked up at him after she had finished; she looked so sad. Maybe this wasn't entirely a lie for her either.

"Not everything," Callen said.

"So what was real? You did have a dog when you were five?" she asked with a roll of her eyes.

"No." Callen pulled her close. "This," he added and kissed her, a brief but passionate kiss that had him wanting more. He could only hope she still wanted him too.

"That, was very real," he added.

Lucy looked like she was about to cry and Callen frowned. She stepped back from him and turned away, hiding her face from him.

"So, was this weekend going to be goodbye?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" She was so confusing right now. Her reactions, her questions, her tone. Nothing made sense at the moment to him. She'd lied to him as well. Surely this wasn't just about that. She should understand where he had been coming from.

"Six weeks," Lucy reminded him.

Damn, she had heard the conversation. Callen had been clinging to the vague hope that somehow she hadn't heard what Sam had said. That would definitely explain the horrified look on her face when he'd turned around. That would explain her reactions. Yes, she was hurting but it wasn't necessarily because he'd lied to her about who he was.

"How were you going to do it?" Lucy asked. "Leave in morning, never come back. Were you actually going to say goodbye or just disappear?"

When Callen didn't answer, Lucy turned back to him. Anger and pain marred her beautiful eyes and Callen felt a sharp pain in his chest as guilt flared that he had caused this.

"Is that all this was?" Lucy demanded. "You just wanted to get me into bed and then leave?"

She was so far from the truth it was almost funny.

"If that's all I wanted," Callen said, "this wouldn't have gone past the first night."

"You arrogant son of a -"

Callen yanked her back into his arms and kissed her. He didn't give her a chance to protest, he knew what she liked, knew what she couldn't resist. He didn't pull back until well after he felt her melt against him, return his kiss and wrap her arms around his neck, a soft moan escaping her mouth as she did.

"First night," Callen said, his voice a tad breathless too. She certainly wasn't the only one affected by the kiss and the attraction between the two of them. "You wanted it as much as I did."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N - Thanks again for the great response. _

_Fluff alert. Oh so much writing this! ;-)  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1._

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**Chapter 3**

_Flash back - First Meeting - Day 1_

Callen watched the brunette sitting at the bar drinking shots of tequila from the bottle that was in front of her. At least half a dozen men had gone up to her over the last forty five minutes. She'd turned them all down. She kept glancing at the dance floor and Callen was positive she wanted to be out there.

Her actions were leaving him slightly confused. If she wanted to dance, then why was she turning down all advances?

Callen had only planned on having one drink and leaving, but then she'd walked through the door and caught his attention. The little black wrap-around dress clung to her curves in all the right places and, whilst it showed of enough skin to tempt, it wasn't enough to create that eye-rolling moment when you just knew the woman in it was screaming for every male in the room to look at what was on offer. The skirt of the dress wasn't fitted, it just swished around her legs as she'd walked down the stairs, making him wonder at the material and his fingers itch a little to find out what it felt like under his fingers and what she would feel like through it. He wasn't sure what it was about her that caused such an instant reaction. She was beautiful, but then so were plenty of the women here tonight and none of them had made the blood running through his veins heat like she had with just a look. Deciding to take a chance, on what he still wasn't sure, he downed the last of his drink.

Callen stood up, walked over and waited patiently for the spot next to her to be free. He moved close, his arm brushing against hers and she glanced at him. With a roll of her eyes, she turned back to her drink.

"You should probably wait for me to down a few more of these before you try whatever lousy pick-up line you have floating around in your head."

"Who said it was lousy?" Callen asked her. She turned back and looked at him, slightly confused.

He waited for her to answer.

"Given my luck tonight, it probably is," she admitted as she turned and took another shot.

"So the guys you keep turning away..." Callen let his question trail off and her take it from there.

"Out of the six guys who have come over tonight, they must have managed to use eight of the lousiest pick-up lines you could possibly imagine and actually expected me to be interested."

"The tequila?" Callen asked, watching her pour another from the bottle.

"The tequila." She ran her finger over the label, almost like a caress and he felt his body tighten at the thought of what it would feel like to have her do that to him. "A girl's best friend on a night like tonight. Figure with half a bottle running through my veins maybe, just maybe, I might be able to ignore the line and actually get to dance."

"So you want to dance?"

She turned to face him. "Yes."

"And you think the tequila will help you think the guy is attractive enough to dance with?"

She chuckled lightly. Callen liked the sound of it.

"Never said he needed to be attractive," she replied. She looked him over and smiled. "Though you definitely qualify in that department.

Callen raised his eyebrows and one side of his mouth tilted up in a smile.

"So do you," he agreed.

She went to take another drink and he put his hand over hers to stop her. She turned to him, eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.

"You could at least give me a chance to use a line before you drown your sorrows about it," Callen added.

She continued to stare at him. "Are you trying to stop me getting drunk?"

Callen still had his hand on hers and he moved his thumb slowly over hers. Her eyes flicked to their hands and then back to his face.

"I'd like you to remember tonight," he replied boldly as he stared back into her eyes, blue and green mixed together, not a bluey green, but a smattering of two distinctively different colours.

Her mouth dropped open slightly and she took in a shaky breath in what could be interpreted as a sign of nervousness.

She smiled then tilted her head in acknowledgement.

"Go for it. Surprise me." She didn't sound like she thought he could.

"Tell me what I'm up against first. How bad were they?" Callen asked. Wouldn't hurt to find out what she didn't like. Could help point him in the right direction for getting her to say yes. _To what?_

"When I saw you from across the room, I passed out cold and hit my head on the floor...so I'm going to need your name and number for insurance reasons."

Callen winced. "Someone really used that?"

"Oh and that was not the worst. 'If I told you you had a great body would you hold it against mine?' and 'There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you'. Don't ask me for the rest." She shook her head. "There is no way I'm repeating them."

She really had been having a bad night. Though Callen had to admit, the last one was pretty close to what had happened with him.

"So what's it going to be?" She turned her body on the stool and gave him her full attention.

Callen smiled, held out his hand to her. "Dance with me?" he asked.

Her eyes went slightly wide in surprise. "That's your line?"

"Depends. If it worked, yes. If it didn't, then it's just a question."

She shook her head slightly, smiled and turned back to the bar. She looked for the bartender and beckoned him over.

"What's up, Lucy?" the bartender asked, glancing briefly over to him, a touch protectively Callen thought, but at least he now had a name.

Lucy picked up the bottle of tequila and handed it to him. "Save that for another night for me okay, Mason. The night has just picked up and I don't think I'll need the rest." Mason took the bottle and put it away as requested. Lucy turned to him and placed her hand in his.

Callen helped her off the bar stool and they walked over to the dance floor, where he pulled her into his arms, finally getting a chance to feel how soft the dress really was – extremely soft. He wasn't quite sure what it was but it reminded him of cashmere, very thin cashmere. His fingers moved just fractionally on her back and he stifled a groan at how good she felt through it. There was a small part of his mind that wondered if perhaps a dance hadn't been the best idea – he wasn't sure it would be enough. He smiled down at her when she looked up at him. He wondered whether her eyes would be the kind that would change colour depending on her mood. It was hard to tell much about them in the light out here, the bar had been better for that, though he could still see the distinctly different colours – she was close enough for that.

"Come here often do you?" he asked, hoping to get his mind thinking about something other than how she felt against him and what he could do to test out his theory about her eyes.

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Callen indicated the guy at the bar. "First name basis with the bartender."

Lucy smiled. "Mason's a sweetie. Good for a girl to have someone watch her back she can trust when out on her own. And no. I don't come here that often."

They didn't talk anymore, just danced. Gradually getting closer to each other until she had her arms around his neck and he was holding her right up against him, barely moving. He could feel the heat from her skin through the back of her dress and where the rest of her body was touching his. He was sure she could feel how much he was enjoying having her that close and wondered whether she was enjoying this as much as he was. He thought she was. She hadn't pulled away or stopped the dance after just one.

Lucy looked up into his eyes and Callen waited, wondering what she was going to do next. He glanced at her lips and saw the corners of her mouth lift in soft smile. She moved her head closer and rose up slightly, gently grazing her mouth against his before pulling back and looking at him, an inviting look in her eyes. Accepting her invitation, Callen closed the distance again and kissed her. The kiss was a whole lot more than he expected. Her lips were warm and inviting and parted easily under his, inviting a deeper connection, which they both eagerly took.

Callen pulled back to take a breath and watched her eyes slowly open and look at him. They were off to the side of the dance floor and the lighting was just that little bit brighter, giving him the opportunity to see that her eyes did indeed change with her mood. The colours had changed, not darkened as such, but their intensity had increased to richer and more vibrant blues and greens. He took that as a good sign.

"You're not normal, you know."

Callen raised his eyebrows, curious. He had no idea what she was meaning.

"You don't want me to be drunk. You want me to remember tonight. You don't use lousy pick-up lines and you dance and kiss exceptionally well. Who are you?" Lucy asked.

"Who do you want me to be?" Callen asked back. She seemed to be thinking about his question for a moment and he slipped his fingers into her loose hair and cupped the back of her head. Her eyes closed briefly and then she opened them.

"The one to take me home," Lucy answered softly.

Callen's heart started beating just fractionally faster, his body reacting to the thoughts that flowed through his mind at her invitation.

"You don't want to dance anymore?" he asked.

Lucy smiled. "Not here."

Callen knew what she was asking, what she was wanting. He could read it easily in her eyes. It was exactly the same thing he was wanting, what he had probably been hoping for since he had first spotted her on the stairs earlier.

"You want me to take you home to dance?" The gentleman in Callen wanted to make sure she had a chance to change her mind.

"If you want to," Lucy replied, a touch of nervousness apparent in her voice as well as her eyes. Callen pulled her head gently closer to his and kissed her again. He did want.

"Let's go," he added when he pulled back. He guided her around the dance floor, up the stairs and out the door. Because he hadn't been planning on staying for long he'd brought his car so he led her over to it, opened the door for her and she got in. Callen moved around to the driver's side. Once in himself, he checked her seat belt. Lucy smiled at him.

"I'm not drunk," she told him, "though I have realised that I don't even know your name."

"Gary," Callen said. That was the name he'd had on undercover op earlier today and it slipped out before he had a chance to really think about his answer.

Lucy frowned slightly.

"What? Don't like Gary?" Callen asked at her look as he started the car.

"You don't seem like a Gary."

Callen shrugged. "Don't really like the name myself."

"Would you prefer I call you something else?"

"Could always go with G." Something about her made him want to tell her the truth, adding to the confusion he felt over a woman who had caused such an instant reaction in him and who wasn't normally his type. Callen rarely found himself attracted to brunettes since Kensi had joined his team. For some reason they made him think brotherly thoughts. But not this one. Nothing brotherly at all about what he was feeling or thinking.

"G?"

He'd never really worried what people called him, but for some reason Callen wanted her to call him that. It was the closest he had to a first name.

"If you want," Callen answered. "Now, you are going to have to give me your address."

Lucy gave it to him, an address that was probably within walking distance.

"You know I don't normally do this," she added.

"Do what?" he asked with a glance across at her, noting she seemed to be studying him intently.

"Pick up a guy in a bar and take him home the first night," Lucy replied. "Or the second for that matter."

There was something about her answer that made him feel ... special. He wasn't sure why especially since, for all he knew, she could have just used a line on him. He turned briefly to look at her. She seemed serious.

"So why me?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I don't know," Lucy admitted softly. "Seems right."

Her answer surprised him. He'd assumed she was just looking for some fun, possibly after a bad day, and he didn't quite know what kind of response he should be giving her to that.

Lucy watched him quietly for the rest of the short drive.

When they pulled up at her apartment building, Callen looked over and saw her eyelids briefly drop closed before they fluttered open again as she realised they'd stopped. He smiled and got out of the car. He went round to open hers and helped her out. Locking the car, Callen slipped his arm around her waist, held her close and guided her up the path.

Lucy led them to her door on the ground floor and pulled her key out of a discrete pocket in her dress. She unlocked it and turned to him, a questioning look on her face.

"Are you coming in?" she asked tentatively.

"Do you want me to? You did fall asleep in the car," Callen reminded her. She smiled softly and stepped into his arms.

"Just because I fell asleep doesn't mean I'm tired." The fact that she only just managed to stifle a yawn as she said the words, didn't help her argument. "Okay, so maybe I am. Doesn't mean I want you to leave though." Callen felt her lips gently kiss his chin and up his jawline.

"Luce," he said on a groan as his eyes drifted closed a little and his arms tightened around her.

She pulled her head back and looked at him strangely for a moment, then smiled.

"I like that," she told him.

"What?" Callen asked, slightly confused by her look and her words, especially as his mind was elsewhere.

"Luce. I like it," she cleared up for him.

"Luce," he repeated softly just before he kissed her again. Lucy guided them back into her apartment slowly. Callen kicked the door closed behind them and moved his lips from her mouth to her neck, tasting the soft skin there and breathing in her subtle perfume. He felt the vibration of the moan that escaped her though his lips and smiled. He caught her lips again and kissed her thoroughly but, after a several extremely enjoyable moments, something in him made him stop and pull back.

"Not tonight," Callen said, surprising himself and making him wonder where that response came from.

Lucy stepped back. She looked at him rather confused. She wasn't the only one and he racked his brain trying to figure out what had just happened.

"I-" Callen put a finger on her lips to stop her, lips that were warm, soft, slightly damp from their kiss and very inviting. He closed his eyes briefly against the temptation of them. He finally managed to settle on something that might have caused him to stop.

"You're tired, and I don't want to spoil tonight," Callen explained. He wanted to see her again, preferably when she wasn't most of the way to being drunk.

"You know where to find me." Lucy turned away as she spoke.

Callen could hear the disappointment and hurt that joined the confusion in her voice. See it in the drop of her shoulders and the steadying breath she took, even though her back was to him. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, kissed her until he was sure she understood that he was definitely interested in her.

"I will be back," Callen promised as he pulled away slightly. She let her head drop back briefly, her soft hair falling over the arm he had around her shoulders. She took a deep breath and then looked back to him.

"Can't change your mind?" Lucy asked, the disappointment was still there in her voice, though his actions and words had apparently removed the hurt.

"Probably could," Callen admitted, if he could get his brain to switch off properly and just let him enjoy her. Except he didn't think that was going to happen, at least not this time. "But I have to go."

"Have to or want to?" Lucy asked.

"Have to," Callen replied. In all honesty it was both. His mind was the 'have to' because his body was telling him firmly that it wanted to stay. "Early start at work."

"You work on the weekends?"

"Sometimes." It was a drawback to his job that didn't usually bother Callen, but it was always a good excuse to get out of things. He had a strange feeling that was about to change.

"Doing?"

"Construction." It was a lie, but it was better than the truth. She seemed to accept it.

"Sweet dreams, G. I look forward to seeing you again." Lucy stood on her toes and reached up to him, softly brushing her lips across his. "Soon," she added as she moved away from him.

"Soon," Callen echoed. He turned around and opened the door. Glancing back at her he was entirely sure that his dreams would be far more than sweet and they would definitely include her.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - Thanks again for the great response. Glad so many of you enjoyed the very first meeting of these two._

_Now, hopefully I got Deeks right. First time really writing him so fingers crossed.  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_Now, on with the fun with today's chapter...  
_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o  
_

**Chapter 4**

Lucy stared up at him. She closed her eyes briefly and then opened them again. She made no move to pull away.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Callen asked. She was confusing him a lot this morning. Maybe it was the morning confusing him, not so much her. He'd been dragged awake far too early out of a dream that he had wanted to stay in, found out his girlfriend (because he was sure she was more than just the woman he was currently going out on dates with) wasn't quite what she seemed and he was now trying to figure out where they stood. Not to mention that his mind was still a little out of it after that kiss. Brief as it had been it had still rocked him and left him wanting more – so much more. She was so close it wouldn't take much to close the distance.

"Why didn't you stay that night? Did you tell me the truth when you said you had to work?" Lucy asked.

"Not exactly. I ..." She started to pull away. Callen held her close, focused on trying to clear up this mess rather than one how she felt against him.

"I gave you my reason that night, Luce. You were tired," Callen reminded her, "mostly drunk and I didn't want to spoil what had been a pretty great night. I did have work to do the next day, just not early."

They'd danced, kissed, hadn't really talked much, but they were both obviously interested in each other and he'd had a feeling one night wasn't going to be enough for him. That had scared him a little, but it had also kept him coming back and taking it slow, not wanting to make any mistakes with her.

"How much of this has been a lie? Do I really know anything about you?" Lucy asked, desperation in her tone.

"Most of it was ..." Callen saw the expression on her face change as she assumed what his answer was going to be – wrongly assumed - and she dropped her head to look away from him. Callen stopped, put a hand under her chin and tilted her face up until she opened her eyes and looked at him. Only then did he continue. "Most of what I told you was based on the truth, okay." His general life, not having parents or family, that he'd joined the military young – those he'd included. He'd avoided too many details to keep it simpler and closer to the truth. "Except my job. It might not have been exactly the way it happened but it was pretty close."

Deeks cleared his throat next to them.

"What?" Lucy snapped at the interruption. Callen held back a smile as Deeks almost jumped back.

"Coffee," Deeks said brightly. "Wouldn't mind some. Surely there's a better place for you two to catch up." Deeks lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

"Enough Deeks," Callen warned. He still wasn't sure where things were and Deeks had interrupted at the wrong time.

"I'm just looking for coffee," Deeks explained, his tone innocent this time. "Mika didn't give me any this morning when I got to her place."

Lucy stepped away from him and almost growled at Deeks. Callen raised his eyebrows, curious at her reaction.

"So, he's the one then," Deeks continued. Lucy spun back.

"Deeks. Shut up," she warned.

Callen frowned and watched the looks that went back and forth between the two of them. Like a silent form of communication. Deeks called her Mika, with a familiarity he wasn't happy about and he'd been the one to get her this morning. Callen did have to wonder why Hetty hadn't sent him and Sam in.

"The one what?" Callen demanded of Deeks.

Deeks grinned. "_The_ one."

"Marty, don't," Lucy warned again. "Please."

Callen turned to her. The way she said Marty, it was with that same familiarity that Deeks used when he called her Mika.

"You know Deeks?"

After a brief, awkward silence which included a few fleeting looks between Lucy and Deeks, she finally answered, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"We've worked together," Lucy told him.

"We're friends," Deeks added.

Worked together? Friends? Callen looked between the two of them, trying to read what the relationship really was.

He faced Lucy. "Which is it?" he asked, a touch of possessiveness coming into his tone that he didn't care if anyone else heard.

"Both," Lucy admitted, earning a grin from Deeks.

Jealousy slammed through him that Deeks knew her, the real her. "When did you meet?"

"Bit over a year ago," Lucy told him. "He worked with me on a joint op."

Callen held her gaze, everyone else in the room disappeared. He wanted answers and he wanted them only from her.

He continued. "Where?"

"San Diego."

"For how long?" he fired off.

"A couple of weeks. What is this?" Lucy asked with a frown. "Twenty questions?"

Callen turned his attention to Deeks, instinct telling him he'd put Lucy on the defensive and she probably wouldn't answer much right now. "You never said you worked with NCIS before."

What else had Deeks lied about? Funny, the lies Callen had told her, and she'd told him, didn't seem so bad, but for some reason he wasn't happy that Deeks had lied to them. He wondered how much of it had to do with the lies being connected to her. What had she done to him to make him act this irrational about a few lies from a guy who he barely knew, especially when lying was pretty much written in their job description?

Deeks shrugged.

"Didn't think it might give your rep a bit of a boost?" Sam asked, having now joined the conversation.

Deeks grinned at Lucy, who smiled back, just a little. Callen narrowed his eyes at Deeks, waiting for an answer. Deeks dropped the grin and added, "That would depend on whether you asked for a reference."

"Didn't go well?" So help him if he got her hurt...

"Went well, he just didn't follow orders," Lucy answered sarcastically, with a roll of her eyes, cutting off the return of the unprofessional thoughts Callen was having about his fist and Deeks' jaw.

"Hey," Deeks protested. "I did follow orders. Just interpreted them slightly different."

Lucy ran the fingers of one hand through her hair and shook her head in disbelief. "Slightly different?" She seemed almost amused by Deeks' words. "You think the difference between girlfriend and sister is only slight?"

Girlfriend?

"Deeks." Callen said the name with enough force to make Deeks look at him and take a tiny step back. He wanted answers.

Deeks seemed to understand that Callen wasn't in the mood to be messed with and stood up straighter, his tone lacking any mischief or teasing as he spoke. "Seriously, you should have seen this guy, Callen. He was big and scary and he was looking at her like …"

Lucy raised her eyebrows and waited as Deeks paused, looking like he was trying to work out a different way of phrasing what he was about to say.

"Like she was a piece of meat and he'd rip her to shreds when he was done."

Callen looked over at Lucy. The look on her face was enough to convince him that Deeks had actually spoken the truth.

"You could have warned me," Lucy said to Deeks.

"Didn't have time, he was on his way over. Had to do something to protect you."

"So you kissed me?" Lucy's tone took on a frustrated note. "I was all set to play your sister and you kissed me. Do you have any idea what kind of work had to be done back at the office when you changed the game mid-stride? And what the hell do you think was going through my head when you did that?" She was staring at Deeks, waiting for him to answer.

"That you liked it," Deeks replied, returning to his usual sarcastic self.

Callen turned back to her. "You kissed Deeks?" he asked.

Lucy spun around to face him. Her head shaking slightly in denial, though not a very strong one.

"He kissed me."

"You kiss him back?" Callen wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know the answer to that question. What he did know was that he was very close to attempting a Gibbs' like smack on the back of Sam's head if he didn't stop grinning over this conversation.

"It was a job, I had to play along." Lucy's eyes darted over to Kensi and back to him. "You trying to tell me you haven't kissed Kensi on a job?"

Callen didn't exactly know how to answer that. He had, but it had never been anything more than the job and he had this feeling that if Deeks had a chance, he would have pushed and taken advantage.

Deeks interrupted before he could reply. "She's good, Callen."

And that answer just proved he'd been right.

"You think I don't know that Deeks?"

Callen was just desperately wishing he didn't have a mental picture of her and Deeks together. He noticed Lucy blush and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth. It caused a tightening in his gut and his blood to heat because he wanted nothing more than do that to her instead. He started to smile at her.

"Enough gentlemen," Hetty said, startling them. Callen had no idea when she had arrived. "Agent Davis, lovely to see you again."

"Hi Hetty," Lucy greeted his boss, as if she knew her.

"Wait. You've met Hetty?" This was getting too much. Callen had too many questions and he was on the verge of dragging her away somewhere private to get answers. If only the interrogation room didn't have cameras.

"Yes," Lucy replied, her tone tired. She put a hand to her face and rubbed her eyes. "I've also met Eric a while ago."

Callen turned to his boss, "Hetty, fill me in please," his tone getting rather desperate.

"If I could have the podium in this rather interesting gathering of acquaintances, I would be delighted, Mr Callen."


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N - Thanks for the great reviews and support._

_Disclaimer in chapter 1  
_

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**Chapter 5**

As it turned out Lucy had been undercover, working in the corporate sector as a temp. So she hadn't exactly lied about that. She'd started eight weeks ago, placed in the offices of a suspected Italian mob boss, who was believed to be making inroads into rebuilding the Italian Mafia in L.A. Something none of them wanted. She was working for San Diego NCIS, but was being handled by Hetty and Eric because they were closer on the scene. She had been through the office a few times, but he and Sam had always been out.

Lucy had been tasked with getting into the boss' office and installing a back door on his computer, which Eric had written, so they could access the private records that he kept there. Apparently, there appear to be a connection with a murdered Naval officer and the possibility of smuggling at the San Diego base. If they could get proof and take him down it would stop a resurgence of mafia activity in LA and California before it could get too ugly. NCIS were involved because, so far the only legitimate connection that had been uncovered had been the murdered Naval officer. Everything else was just suspicion.

"Why didn't we just handle it?" Callen asked. "Kensi could have gone in."

Callen had no idea what skills Lucy had. For all he knew she could be way better than Kensi, but the thought of her out there, on her own. He mentally shook off the thoughts. Hetty wouldn't have let her go if she wasn't capable, even if she wasn't technically one of Hetty's agents.

"We did think about that, Mr Callen. But Miss Blye did not qualify," Hetty replied.

"Why not?"

Lucy was looking at him strangely. "If I hadn't..." she left the sentence hanging in the air and Callen didn't take long to understand what she was meaning. If she hadn't they wouldn't have met. She must have seen the thought register in his mind and smiled slightly.

"Kensi doesn't have the qualifications to pass as a secretarial typist," Lucy added.

"She can type," Sam defended.

"Yes, but not fast enough."

"How fast do you type, Kenz?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Kensi replied with a shrug.

"Miss Blye types at approximately sixty words a minute," Hetty answered. "Whilst a decent typing speed to enable reports to be done in a timely fashion for her job, not fast enough to be able to get her into the necessary office. Miss Davis on the other hand has a typing speed of over eighty words a minute," Hetty finished with.

"Mr Marino has high standards," Lucy added. "He won't work with a secretary who types less than seventy."

"How'd you get so fast?" Callen asked.

"Practice. I worked my way through college typing up other student's assignments and the occasional thesis."

Hetty cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her.

"Mr Marino's computer data was successfully downloaded, thanks to Miss Davis and Mr Beale, yesterday."

"So the mission is over?" Callen asked, hopeful.

"Yes and no," came Hetty's response.

Callen noticed a tension come over Lucy. She frowned and looked at Hetty. He moved quietly to stand next to her, close enough that his arm was just brushing hers. Obviously this wasn't what she was expecting.

"Miss Davis, do you know who your father is?" Hetty asked, the question coming right out of left field.

Lucy shook her head. "No, my mother never told me. What's this got to do with anything?"

So that had been true. She had told him that.

Hetty smiled gently at Lucy, one that she used when she had something unsettling to tell someone.

"It seems that Mr Marino believes you are his daughter."

"What?" Lucy's eyes went wide in shock and she shook her head. "No, I can't be."

"He has had a DNA test performed."

"How?" Lucy demanded.

Almost every eye in the room went a little wider in shock and Hetty's eyebrow raised just a little at the forcefulness behind that one word, but she didn't comment. Asking Hetty for an answer was one thing, demanding it – not usually something people did. Callen figured Hetty was giving Lucy a little slack considering the bombs that had just been dropped on her.

"The routine drug screen at the company. You had to give a blood sample recently," Hetty replied. "From what Eric was able to pull off his computer before the connection was closed down, the result suggests a high probability that you are."

Something unsettling came over Callen at Hetty words. Something that didn't seem right.

"What do you mean? Connection closed?"

Hetty looked at Callen. "Ah, yes. It also appears that the back door was discovered."

Lucy made a small sound in the back of her throat; one of disbelief, possibly even a touch of fear.

Callen reached for Lucy's hand and twined their fingers together, pleased that she seemed quite accepting of his touch. He saw Hetty look at him, surprise showing slightly in her eyes. He almost smiled. Did this mean that Hetty didn't know about him and Lucy yet?

"Does he know who I really am?" Lucy asked.

Hetty nodded confirmation. "He isn't impressed that his own child would be working for the government and come after him. He's ... not happy and has discontinued your employment with the company."

Lucy shrugged and she relaxed her grip on his hand a little, though she didn't let go.

"Fine, so it's over. The information Eric got, did it give us what we need?" Lucy asked.

Callen knew from the look on Hetty's face that there was more and that they weren't going to like it.

"What haven't you told us, Hetty?" he asked.

Hetty took a moment, studying the two of them before she focused on Lucy and answered the question. "He also wishes to terminate you, Miss Davis."

Callen turned to Lucy, his eyes wide. He watched the blood drain from her face.

"Luce?"

She shook her head, pushed away from him and walked toward the door.

"Luce," Callen repeated as he quickly followed her.

"Miss Davis," Hetty called sternly.

Lucy spun around, right as Callen caught up with her, almost crashing into him. His hands went to her shoulders, hers to his chest to stop the collision or fall.

"No, this is _not_ happening." There was disbelief, fear and a touch of panic in Lucy's voice. "It is some god awful dream that I should have known wasn't real when I woke up to Deeks two inches from my face."

He'd have to have a word with Deeks about keeping his distance.

Lucy paused briefly as she took a few breaths to gain some control. "I'm going home, I'm going back to bed and when I wake up it will be morning, again, and all I'll have to worry about is what we're going to order for dinner sometime tonight and whether or not I am going to disappoint..." She stopped abruptly, her cheeks going slightly pink and she looked away from him. Callen reached out and touched her cheek. She turned back to look at him.

"You could never disappoint me, Luce," he assured her softly, as he realised where she was going with her rant.

"This isn't the way today was supposed to go. Everything is wrong." Her voice was low but the pitch high, telling Callen she was on the verge of outright panic. He didn't know much about this Marino but he had a feeling she did and that it was bad.

Callen pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She leant into him and accepted his comfort. He was most relieved that she wasn't on the way out the door anymore.

"All that was supposed to happen today was I was supposed to get up," Lucy continued, "after having some delightful dreams, go to work, type some stupid letters or reports, go home, run a bath and wait for you."

His thoughts easily followed on from that.

"Planning on waiting in the bath, were you?"

Lucy looked up at him, a blush on her face and a guilty look in her eyes. "Not exactly."

Callen raised his eyebrows in question and her blush intensified.

"Planning on getting in just before you got there," she admitted in a very low voice to make sure that no one else heard.

"Rain-check?" Callen suggested. That was something he didn't want to miss out on with her.

"You still want … after everything, you still want this?"

Callen smiled. Yes, he definitely still wanted this. He hadn't been patient all this time just to walk away from her at a little bump in the road.

"Yes. I still want us. Just tell me something. How much was a lie from you?" Callen asked repeating her earlier question. In all honesty, he didn't really care, but it was the quickest way to figure out where they were at the moment. If he had to get to know her all over again, he would.

"It was all true, aside from some minor tiny ones so that it fitted in with who I was supposed to be," Lucy answered.

Callen grinned as he felt some of the tension leave him. Maybe this weird relationship of theirs that had been based on lies of varying degrees, might actually turn into something real after all.

"So I do know you?"

"Yes," Lucy told him, a smile finally forming on her face. He noticed some of the fear and panic had slipped from her eyes.

"Better than Deeks?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Are you jealous of Deeks?" she asked.

Callen didn't answer. He didn't really know what to say. He wanted to deny it; it seemed petty to be jealous just because they were friends, but he couldn't. And he didn't want to lie to her anymore.

"Deeks is the opposite of you," Lucy started to explain. "He's like that annoying brother. The one who every time he opens his mouth you know something is going to come out of it that's going to make you think about the hundred or so ways you have on a list to shut him up. But, in his own way, he's endearing, because you know that if you ever need him, he'll be there, no questions asked. At least not until it's all over."

"So you don't think he's cute?"

"Good grief no! Not my type." Lucy rolled her eyes and shook her head, emphasising her denial. It was hard not to believe her.

"And you think of him like a friend or brother?"

"Yes. And you," Lucy slipped her arms up around his neck, "I do not think of anything remotely resembling a brother."

Callen temporarily forgot about their audience, lowered his head until his lips were almost touching hers. He could feel her breath on his and saw her eyes drift close. The smile started to form on his lips and he touched his to hers only to be interrupted when Deeks called out.

"Mika, you know we can see and hear you, right? Love that you think I'm endearing."

Lucy closed her eyes and put her head down on Callen's shoulder for a moment. She moved away and they returned to the group.

Deeks grinned at them. "Endearing. Why I never knew you cared Mika," he said.

"Shut up Deeks. You know I hate it when you do that," she complained.

Callen looked at her curious. "Do what?" he asked.

"The way he says my name. It's annoying. Maybe I should just get him to call me Lucy – It's grown on me these last five weeks."

Callen smiled, realising from her words that it was because of him she preferred Lucy, not because of the assignment which had been going on longer than five weeks.

"How does he say it?"

"My-car. He puts this tone to it that makes anyone who hears it think we are together."

"But you're not?"

Lucy turned to face him. "Never," she assured him.

"Come on Mika," Deeks said, using that tone she had just mentioned, "You know you love me."

Lucy rolled her eyes and turned to Deeks. "Like I love aspirin in the morning when I have a headache. Only because I was stupid the night before. Actually forget that, you usually cause the headache. You're rarely the cure."

"But you do-" Deeks was cut off when Sam slapped him on the back, hard enough to send him into a fit of coughing.

"What do we do, Hetty?" Sam asked, ignoring the near choking team mate next to him.

"Miss Davis needs to go temporarily into protective custody."

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Lucy moaned. "Not only do I have a father I didn't know, who now wants to kill me, I'm getting sent off to who knows where, just as life was getting good."

Callen grinned at her words; not the ones about her father, but the ones about life getting good. He was pretty confident that she was referring to them.

"You are not getting sent off anywhere, Miss Davis," Hetty assured her. "We will be protecting you. We take care of our own."

"How?" Lucy asked.

Callen was curious too.

"You and Mr Callen will be, shall we say, going undercover."

Deeks started to laugh at Hetty's words but choked it back at her look.

"We have set you up as a couple and you will live a quiet life for a couple of weeks," Hetty explained, "whilst the San Diego and Los Angeles offices take down Mr Marino. This delightful team, Mr Deeks included, will be the ones assigned to protecting you until this is over."

"Quiet life? With Deeks around?" Kensi muttered under her breath. "Lucy better have that list with her."

"Yes, Miss Blye, that is the plan for them. A nice little house in the suburbs, no jobs to go to being a new couple who have just moved into the neighbourhood and are taking some time to get settled in. Just stay at home out of sight."

"Sounds good," Callen added, looking at Lucy. He didn't bother fighting the smile that was twitching on his lips at the thought of this next mission. He knew the danger to her was legitimate but he also trusted his team and Hetty that they would be able to keep her safe, which meant there would be a little room for personal enjoyment.

Lucy's eyes widened at the implication behind his smile. The colours in her eyes did that brightening thing that they did, a sure sign she was on the same wavelength as him. If it was his job to protect her, Callen could do that. He'd make sure that he didn't leave her side. At all. And who knew where that might lead them.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N - Thanks for the awesome support. I'm having lots of fun with this one. Glad you all are too._

_Hope you enjoy today's chapter  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o  
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**Chapter 6**

"Miss Blye, Mr Deeks." The two agents turned to Hetty. She handed Kensi an envelope. "Please escort Miss Davis to the safe house. The details are in there."

Hetty turned to the others. "Mr Callen and Mr Hanna, you two will follow me back to the office and retrieve the necessary supplies before joining them."

Lucy glanced at Callen and he saw the fear return slightly to her eyes. Callen looked back to Hetty.

"Hetty, why don't I go with them? Deeks can go with Sam," Callen suggested as he slipped his arm reassuringly around Lucy's shoulders.

"Miss Davis will be fine," Hetty told him firmly. "I need you to come with me, Mr Callen. You won't be much more than half an hour behind them."

"I promise Mika, I won't leave your side," Deeks assured her with a grin.

"That's what I'm worried about," Lucy muttered under her breath.

Callen moved in front of her and cupped her face gently in his hands. "Luce, I trust Kensi. Deeks too," he added slightly reluctantly. "I'll be with you soon."

Lucy nodded after a moment of studying his face. "Soon," she repeated softly.

"I promise." Callen brushed his lips across hers softly; just a gentle touch to back up his promise. He stepped back to let her go. She started to walk away and Deeks moved closer, slipping an arm around her shoulders where his had been only moments ago. Callen saw Lucy shrug it off quickly.

"Deeks," he called out.

Deeks and Lucy both turned; one frowning, one curious.

"Hands to yourself," Callen ordered.

Deeks started to grin and Lucy turned to him. "Unless you want a repeat of San Diego," she added.

Deeks' grin dropped and he stepped back, hands up in a sign of surrender.

Callen's curiosity was piqued and he wanted to know what she had on Deeks. "Luce?"

Lucy turned back to him and smiled, a kind of sly and mischievous smile of success. "Deeks … Let's just say, he paid for his change of plans with a haircut. If I had to play his girlfriend, I wasn't putting up with the mop."

Deeks' hands went to his hair, almost protectively and Sam stifled a laugh. Hetty didn't bother hiding her smile this time.

"I'm sure you did a fine job, Miss Davis," Hetty said.

"Fine job!" Deeks exclaimed. "She practically caused me to shave my head the way she hacked into it. Do you have any idea how long it took to grow back?"

"Not that long," Kensi quipped. "It was already a mop when we first met."

Deeks gave Kensi a withering look. "It looked a whole lot better before she attacked it than when we met."

"That was entirely your fault," Lucy replied calmly. "If you'd just stayed still, you would have been fine."

"I was asleep!"

Lucy just shrugged and moved toward Kensi. She glanced back at Callen just as she was about to walk out the door. He nodded his reassurance to her and smiled. She smiled back and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o

"Weapons, ear pieces, clothes, phones," Hetty pointed to the items as she went over everything that was on the table in front of them. "Is there anything else you can think of that you might need, Mr Callen?" Hetty asked.

Callen shook his head. "Looks good."

Sam started packing up the items into the bags Hetty had provided.

Callen focused on Hetty. "Hetty, you and Eric. You knew I was seeing her and you knew I didn't know who she really was." It wasn't a question. Callen had figured out that if Eric and Hetty had been the ones handling Lucy's assignment, then Eric had to have known who Lucy really was from the moment he gave Eric her address so Eric could get him her phone number.

Hetty nodded. "Yes, we did."

"And?"

Callen waited. Hetty knew what he wanted to know.

"Mr Callen, you haven't shown interest in what Mr Hanna would call a nice girl, in a long time. Miss Davis was on a mission that was tentative at best – and dangerous. She needed to be focused on being Lucy Daniels, the person, not just the office worker. It was a delicate mission and we had no idea if it was even possible to get someone into Mr Marino's office. She was our best chance. I felt that the two of you were responsible and understanding enough adults to deal with the situation when it came to pass. Apparently I was right."

"You took a risk Hetty. I went to her workplace. What if I'd crossed paths with someone who works with Marino in the past?"

Hetty nodded in acknowledgement of his concerns. "I had Eric run the possibility of you having had contact before he gave you Miss Davis' contact number. I also felt that having something outside of the mission for her would be beneficial. Give her some respite from the concern of what she was trying to do during working hours."

Callen raised his eyebrows slightly. "So, I was helping her?"

"Yes. Everyone needs some time out. Even you Mr Callen."

Well, he'd definitely give Hetty that one. He did need time out and that was what he had found with Lucy.

"Why did you look surprised when I took her hand at the boat house? If you knew we were together that shouldn't have surprised you."

"It was the action, not that you were together." Hetty stepped closer and looked at him intently. "Mr Callen, it is rare for you to openly show affection unless for the purpose of a mission. That was what surprised me, pleasantly though."

"So what else did you bring me here for, Hetty?" Callen held her gaze. He knew there was something she hadn't told them yet.

Deeks was more than capable of picking up this stuff. Hetty had to have a specific reason for bringing him back here. It was barely perceptible but Callen saw it, the slight drop of Hetty's shoulders as if a major weight had just resurfaced on her.

"I have some more information about Miss Davis' situation that I did not want her to overhear. She has enough to worry about as it is."

Callen tensed and frowned. He waited for Hetty to continue, worry settling heavily on him.

"Five minutes after Miss Blye and Mr Deeks extracted Miss Davis from her apartment, a rather large number of bullets found their way into it."

"What?" Sam asked shocked, his hands stopped packing as he looked at Hetty.

Callen felt his blood run cold. "How many is a large number, Hetty?" Callen asked, fear joining the worry.

"Enough that if she had still been in there, she would not have survived, no matter where she had been."

Five minutes. Five minutes had been all that was between her still being alive or him losing her.

Callen might trust Kensi completely and Deeks mostly, but right now the only one he was intending on trusting with Lucy's life was himself.

"One more thing, Mr Callen," Hetty said as she turned to him, a serious expression on her face barely hiding a hint of mischief.

Callen tilted his head in question. Hetty and mischief (at least the kind he could see at the moment) was rare and he was curious.

"You are there to protect Miss Davis. Consider yourself her bodyguard," Hetty started. Callen's lips twitched in a smile. He could do that. Hetty wasn't finished.

"To put it in clearer terms, Mr Callen, you are there to protect her body, not explore it."

Callen almost choked at what she had just said. Sam was silently laughing next to him. Hetty had a smile on her face. He had to wonder if Hetty was teasing him.

"You saying I can't handle both, Hetty?" he asked, deciding to go with the possibility that she was teasing. To be honest, he could do with a little light relief right now considering what they were facing.

Hetty fought back the smile in an attempt to continue her serious conversation.

"I have no doubt that you can do both, just remember that you are there first to protect her. Anything else is optional, not the priority."

"Understood Hetty. Now, can I go start?" Callen asked.

"Which one?" Sam muttered under his breath.

Callen ignored his partner and, at Hetty's nod, he started helping Sam finish packing up the supplies. Within a couple of minutes they were in the car and on their way. Sam obviously picked up on Callen's need to get to Lucy fast as he was pushing the speed limit very quickly. More so than normal.

Callen waited. He knew the questions would start soon. 3, 2...

"What did she think you did?" Sam asked.

Bingo. Sam just couldn't resist.

"Construction."

"Maybe you should have said demolition, it would have been closer to the truth," Sam teased briefly before he asked, "You had no idea she was lying to you?"

"She wasn't, not exactly." Sam was right though, in that he hadn't realised there was anything up with her. He'd believed her completely, as she had believed him - at least most of the time. There had been one time when she'd thought he was lying.

"You sure about that?" Sam asked.

"Sam, stop. I like her. I want this to work," Callen replied. He didn't care about what lies there had been. They'd clear them up later and move on.

"You like her? Really?" Sam asked, his tone no longer teasing but serious and surprised.

Callen couldn't blame him; he'd had the same reaction himself. Only he'd now had five weeks to come to terms with the fact.

"Really," he confirmed.

"So have you..." Sam's words trailed off but the look Sam gave him spoke volumes and Callen grinned.

"Are you asking me if we've had sex yet, Sam? You are married; it shouldn't be that difficult for you to say the word."

"So, have you?"

Callen smirked at his partner. "When you tell me why you occasionally smell like baby powder, I'll answer the question."

Sam was silent for a couple of minutes before breaking it by asking, "What if I guess?"

Callen chuckled knowingly. "If you can guess, then I'll tell you." Like Sam could guess when something had happened correctly that hadn't actually happened yet. He was pretty safe.

"First date?"

"Nope."

"How did you two meet?"

"I told you, met at a bar."

"Details G. Or I'll ask Mika," Sam threatened.

"Lucy," Callen corrected automatically. At least she was to him, probably always would be. He really didn't think he could change to Mika mid-stride. Lucy she had been in his life, in his head, in his dreams and, when he was eventually able to admit it in his heart even, for five weeks now. She was Lucy – his Luce.

"Fine, tell me about your first date, or I'll ask Lucy when the two of you have, you know."

"Sex, Sam. It's not that hard to say."

"C'mon G," Sam prompted.

"I was having a drink, she walked in. I watched her for a while. She looked like she wanted to dance. Bunch of guys asked her but she turned them down. I asked her, she said yes," Callen summarised. He didn't really want to go into the details of how she'd made him feel, of what they had almost done even though they'd only just met.

"What line did you use?"

"I just asked her to dance, Sam. No line."

Sam raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him curiously. "And that worked?"

"She'd had a bad night with lines. I decided on the direct approach."

"Did you take her home?" Sam asked.

"Yes."

"But you didn't stay?"

"No," Callen confirmed

"Did you want to?"

Callen rolled his eyes and wondered if perhaps he should have been counting Sam's questions and stopped him when he got to twenty, though he had a vague feeling that one, they weren't near twenty and two, it wouldn't have stopped Sam anyway.

"Yes, I wanted to stay," he admitted.

"Why didn't you?"

Callen sighed and gave up. "Because I didn't want to spoil a great night. She was mostly drunk and tired. I wanted to see her again, not rush things. I felt like I would want more than just a night in her bed. I wanted to know her."

There was a slight tilt to Sam's head and Callen took it as approval of his actions. Not that he needed Sam's approval but it was nice all the same.

"How long til you saw her again?" Sam asked

"Couple of days."

"So then?"

Callen rolled his eyes and smirked at Sam. This could end up being fun, and something to take his mind off the danger that Lucy was in. He always enjoyed playing with Sam's mind. With a shake of his head he replied, "No, Sam. Not then either."


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N - Hope you enjoy this next look into Callen and Lucy's relationship. Thanks again for the support. Greatly appreciated._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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_

**Chapter 7**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 2 - Sunday Day 3_

It was eight in the evening on Sunday, two days since Callen had first met Lucy at the bar.

He was sitting outside her apartment in his car wondering if she wanted to see him again as much as he did her. He could see the lights on in her apartment, but hadn't spotted any shadows moving past the windows. He wasn't entirely sure if she was even home.

Callen was tempted to just go and knock on the door but didn't, just in case she didn't want to see him after all. He glanced down the phone resting in his hand and scrolled through the list of contacts.

He had her number programmed into his phone, under L. Just an initial, never the name. Actually, she was the first one he'd programmed in for a long time. He had a pretty good memory for numbers. This time though, he didn't want to lose it or forget it. Eric had tracked it down for him when he gave him the address. He hadn't gotten her last name though that hadn't been a problem for Eric, who had managed. Lucy Daniels.

He selected the correct entry and dialled. Whilst he waited for her to answer he continued to watch her apartment.

"Hello?" came her rather croaky voice through the phone.

"Luce? You okay?" concern causing him to forget to introduce himself.

"G. You called," her voice still croaky but even with that he was positive that she sounded happy to hear from him.

"I promised I'd be back," he said.

"Yeah I know. I was just expecting a knock on the -" Her words cut off with a cough, and more followed.

Callen got out of the car whilst he waited for her to stop coughing and headed toward her apartment.

"Sorry," Lucy said when she eventually stopped and could speak again.

"You're sick." It wasn't a question, simply a statement because it was quite obvious she was.

"Mmm hmm. Hit me hard this morning. Haven't gotten up for most of the day."

"Have you eaten?" Callen asked as he stepped through the entry door of the apartment block.

"Uh, don't mention food please," she moaned.

"Can you get up to the door?"

"Why?"

He knocked on it. "To let me in."

"You're here?"

Callen smiled at the sound of shock in her voice, pleased that the happy tone actually sounded like it had increased.

"Only one way to find out for sure," he teased.

"Are you sure you want me to? Not exactly a pretty sight right now."

"Luce, open the door and let me in," with just a hint of exasperation in his tone.

Callen heard the door unlock at the same time that she disconnected the call and Callen pocketed his phone.

She opened it slowly, poked her head around to look at him. Her hair was loose and tangled, her face pale, but her cheeks flushed and there were dark circles under her eyes. She may have spent the day in bed, but it didn't look like it had been very restful.

"I won't mind if you run away at the sight in front of you," Lucy said with a small smile.

"Why would I do that?" Callen asked as he stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

"One, so you don't get sick. Two, I may be sick but I am still capable of knowing that I look horrendous right now." Lucy started to cough again and stepped back away from him. Callen stepped forward and put a hand on her head. She was very hot. She closed her eyes and moaned in relief.

"That feels good," she said softly.

"Why?"

"So cool," she replied.

"Come on. Come sit."

Callen steered her over to the couch and she sat down. There were pillows and a blanket set up and the TV was on, though muted, so he guessed she'd been watching something when he had called. She flicked it off with the remote that was on the armrest and snuggled down under the covers

"What do you need?" Callen asked.

"Drink." Lucy tilted her head to the glass that was empty on the small table in front of her. "Please."

"Anything in particular?" Callen asked as he stood up.

"There's some apple juice in the fridge that would be good."

"Be right back."

"Help yourself to anything you want," Lucy added.

Callen turned and grinned at her, "Anything?" he teased, hoping for a smile.

She complied. "Food or drink wise ... this time." Her eyelids dropped a little and she fought to keep them open.

Callen went to her kitchen, got some juice for both of them. Whilst he was there, he quickly checked cupboards and fridge for something that she might be able to keep down before going back to her. Her eyes were closed and her head dropped sideways on the pillow. He put the juice down quietly on the table and sat down on the floor next to her.

"I am awake," Lucy told him, even though her eyes remained closed.

"You don't have to be," Callen replied gently, stroking her damp hair back off her face.

"What kind of host would I be if I fell asleep?"

"A sick one. You should eat something, Luce."

"I know. I've tried, just...you don't need me to spell it out for you do you?" She opened her eyes finally and looked at him.

"No, I understand. How about I make you some soup?"

"You're going to cook for me?"

Callen wasn't sure if it was surprise or disbelief in her voice at his offer.

"No, not exactly. I'm going to go to the shops, find some soup and heat it up for you. You need something."

"Trust me," she smiled. "That's cooking."

"So?"

"That would be great. Keys are on the table." Lucy waved her hand in the general direction of the door.

Callen smiled at her and stood up. "I'll be back soon."

"Not going anywhere," she replied, her eyes drifting closed.

It didn't take him long. Callen knew where a shop was that was open this late on the weekend, found the traditional chicken soup and some bread and slipped back quietly into her apartment. She was asleep, her features relaxed and soft, a small smile on her face.

Callen went into the kitchen and heated up the soup for them. He had it ready and on the table before he came back and reluctantly woke her up. Her eyes fluttered open at his gentle touch on her shoulder and she looked at him, a confused frown first, followed by a happy smile.

"You weren't a dream."

"Definitely real. Soup's ready. You up for it?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied though Callen wasn't inclined to believe her. She pushed the blanket back and started to stand up. He took her hand to help her and guided her to the table.

"Thank you," Lucy said quietly as she sat down. She shivered and Callen went back to the couch to get the blanket, carefully tucking it around her where she sat. She ate slowly, only halfway through by the time he finished his. He watched her. She might think she looked horrendous but he didn't. She looked sick that was all. She pushed the bowl away, not much more than halfway done.

"Sorry," Lucy murmured as she propped her head up on one of her hands.

"At least you ate something." Callen picked up the dishes and took them back to the kitchen. She looked up at him when he came back.

"What's the time?" she asked.

He checked his watch, "8.45."

"Good. Can take something now." She reached for the cold and flu tablets on the table and Callen went and got her a glass of water.

She smiled her thanks when he came back and then downed the tablets and the water.

"I should warn you," Lucy said, "I'll be asleep in less than half an hour."

"Then we better get you to bed," Callen replied. He stepped around the table and held out his hand.

"You're going to tuck me in?" Lucy asked with a little grin, one he knew would be bigger if she had the energy for it.

"If you want me to."

Lucy took his hand, pushed off the blanket and stood up, swaying slightly as she did. "It wasn't quite the way I wanted to get you into my bedroom, but I'll take it."

Callen put his arm around her and supported her on the walk to the bedroom. It was a small apartment so it wasn't hard to figure out which door was the bathroom and which was the bedroom, especially when they were both open. He helped her into bed, tucked the sheet and blanket around her and got her another glass of water to put beside the bed.

"Goodnight Luce," Callen said softly. He lent down and kissed her on the cheek, pleased that she didn't feel quite as hot as she had before. She didn't hear him though. She was already asleep. He found her phone and dialled his number before finding a piece of paper to write a note.

'Just hit redial if you need me. G'

Callen left both on the table beside her bed, kissed her cheek one last time and left, making sure the door was locked on his way out.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N - Thanks everyone for the support, alerts and reviews. It's always great to hear what you think. Glad so many of you are enjoying this story._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_On with the show...  
_

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**Chapter 8**

Callen and Sam arrived at the safe house; a typical single story white picket fenced house in a quiet suburban neighbourhood. Sam parked in the garage and they retrieved the supplies Hetty had given them out of the trunk before going inside.

Lucy was curled up on the couch, her feet tucked up under her, staring at nothing. Callen frowned when he saw her and glanced around. He could see Deeks through the archway off the living room rummaging in the kitchen, searching for food. Kensi was sitting on a chair just off to the side of a window with a view of the garage. She had obviously been watching for them.

Callen stepped over to Lucy and touched her arm. She jumped slightly and looked at him. Recognition flared on her face followed closely by a small smile. When she stood up quickly and put her arms around him, his moved automatically to hold her close.

"You okay?" Callen asked. There was something about this hug that was more than just being pleased to see him. He frowned and turned his head to look at Deeks who had just walked back in the room; some sort of sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other.

Deeks looked guilty about something, or maybe that was just his usual look, as he put up the hand containing the soda, awkwardly sticking out three of his fingers around the bottle. "Didn't touch her. Scout's honour."

"Were you ever a scout?" Kensi asked. The tone of her voice indicated that the only answer she would believe was no.

Deeks shook his head.

"Luce?" Callen asked again, since she hadn't answered.

She lent back in his arms a little so she could look at him. "Just … I don't know. Confused. Tired. Scared. If Deeks and Kensi hadn't … If you'd stayed ... He shot up my apartment G." She whispered the last part, closed her eyes and her head returned to his shoulder.

Callen wondered who had told her. His gaze was drawn to Deeks who shrugged.

Deeks looked serious as he spoke. "She needed to know, Callen. Trust me, she needed to know."

Callen turned his attention back to the woman in his arms. "Luce, don't do this. You're safe. We'll take care of you," he assured her.

Lucy looked up at him and gave a very small and very brief smile.

"I know," she replied. Callen was relieved that he actually believed her.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Callen suggested. She did look tired. It wouldn't hurt for her to rest a little, just in case things didn't go as quietly as they had hoped. Not that he was going to tell her that.

Lucy started to shake her head but then she thought better of it. "Stay with me," she asked him.

"Not leaving your side. It's my job," Callen replied cheerfully.

"Always enjoy your job this much?" Lucy asked, smiling a bit brighter this time.

Hands on her shoulders, Callen turned Lucy toward the hallway, assuming the bedrooms were that way. "Nope, this is a special case."

"Yeah? Protecting someone from a psychotic father is your idea of special?"

Lucy stopped at one of the doors and reached for the handle, obviously knowing a little about the layout of the house.

Callen waited until they got inside and had closed the door, before he pulled her back into his arms. "No, but protecting you." He gently stroked her cheek as he continued, "and getting to spend the next two weeks or so by your side is definitely special."

Lucy smiled up at him. "If only it was just the two of us and the whole crazy father out to kill me wasn't the case, this would be perfect."

Lucy stood on her toes and kissed him softly. "Not quite the weekend I had planned," she added as she moved away and settled down on the bed.

Callen joined her and Lucy moved to curl up next to him; head on his shoulder, an arm resting across his stomach and around his waist. "Me neither," he said. "Certainly wasn't planning on having Deeks in the next room."

Lucy laughed quietly and he felt the gentle vibrations where they were touching. "I'd prefer Deeks wasn't even in the same town," she added.

"Yet you like him," Callen stated.

"Yeah, I do," Lucy replied softly.

"Why?"

Lucy raised her head and looked at him.

"I'm serious. Why do you like Deeks?" Callen asked again. "We don't know him all that well yet. Could be good to get a different perspective on him."

Lucy settled her head back down.

"Marty, he … He was there for me a few times, not just when we were on that mission together. We kept in touch after that job, became good friends even if there are times when I can't stand him. There were some times where I got in trouble, or needed some help. He was always willing to give it."

"What kind of trouble? Work?" Callen asked concerned.

"Mostly. In particular there was the joint op we were on and one time when I had to come up here to try and find a suspect. A couple of personal ones."

"Tell me about the work ones," Callen asked. He figured that they might give him more of an idea on what Deeks would be like to work with.

"Well, aside from the scary guy looking for a feed, we got made on that job and some thugs picked us up. Marty took the brunt of the beatings. He kept mouthing off to keep their attention on him until back-up arrived."

Callen's arms tightened a little around her. "Did they hurt you?"

"A little," Lucy said with a small, dismissive shrug. "Would have been a lot more if he'd kept his mouth shut."

"What about when you were here?" Callen asked. His fingers started tracing little patterns on her arms, slightly distracting her.

"He followed me to an address for a person I was interested in regarding a murder investigation I was working on. It was a just a hunch, one of those ones you really can't explain and everyone thinks you're crazy for having it. Anyway, I'd gone on my own to check it out. When I didn't meet Marty for lunch afterwards, he came to find me. Turned out the person of interest was the killer."

"And Marty saved the day?" How many times had he be so close to losing this woman?

"Yeah."

"Personal?"

Lucy chuckled softly and raised her head. "If you want to know about my dating history G, just ask. You don't have to fish via Marty stories."

"I don't want to know about your dating history. Just like you don't want to know about mine."

Lucy looked intrigued. "Don't I?" she asked.

Callen shook his head. "No, because none of it matters anymore."

Lucy looked at him for a moment contemplating him. Then she shifted her position and brought her lips to his. Callen slipped his hand behind her head to stop her from pulling back, not that she seemed to want to. In the end, he did.

Lucy raised her eyebrows in question.

"Not that I don't want to keep going," Callen replied after clearing his throat, "but I have a strange feeling Deeks will walk in if we do."

Lucy moved away, turned on her side and wiggled back into him. She reached for his arm and gently tugged him closer.

Callen understood what she wanted from him and moved into her, moulding his body around hers and holding her close.

"Sleep Luce. I'll keep you safe," Callen promised softly in her ear, before he put his head down on the pillow. It wasn't the first time he'd made that promise to her.

Lucy moved during her sleep; turned into him, her head returning to his shoulder. One of her legs slid over his and her hand found its way onto his chest. Callen didn't sleep. He just drifted along, random thoughts, plans and worries mingling together as he enjoyed holding her in his arms.

It was during one of those drifting, almost asleep moments that Callen felt her move and then felt her lips on his. He opened his eyes and looked into hers. She put a finger to his lips to stop him saying anything, not that his brain had kicked into gear yet, then she kissed him. Her fingers went to his shirt pushing it up out of the way so hers could slide underneath. Still in the sleepy state, he completely forgot about the worry of anyone walking in and his hands mimicked the journey on her that hers were taking on him.

There was a knock at the door and Lucy buried her head in his neck, muffling the groan that escaped her.

"What's up?" Callen called out in as normal a tone as he could managed.

"We're just about to have some lunch. You two want to join us?" Kensi called through the door.

Callen couldn't tell if Kensi sounded suspicious of what was going on or not.

"Be there in a minute," Callen replied. He heard the footsteps walk away from the room.

"Guess it's not just Deeks we have to worry about." Lucy rolled away from him.

"You do know you owe me a weekend right?" Callen teased.

Lucy turned back and smiled at him. "Just as soon as this nightmare is over, I promise I will lock the door once you arrive, turn off every phone and hide the key."

"Deal. My place or yours? Mine is closer once this is over with," Callen suggested. There was this little niggle in his mind that she didn't actually live in LA, which meant if this relationship was going to continue, they'd have to figure something out about the distance. Not that San Diego was really that far away. He'd just have to be a little more organised with his weekends.

Lucy smiled. "Sooner sounds good. It's a date." They straightened their clothes, opened the door and went to join the others.

Over lunch they went over the plan.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lucy exclaimed. "Couldn't Eric have come up with something original? Mr and Mrs Smith! Not to mention that it doesn't bode well for a quiet time at home."

"Don't worry, Luce. I'll be having a word with Eric. He knows I don't like Gary."

Lucy looked at Callen with a curious lift of her lips. He knew what she was thinking about – the fact that he had used Gary when they first met. "Well, add to that and tell him I don't like Gina either," she said. "Any chance it's not too late to change all of this?"

Callen shook his head. "Hetty and Eric will have already set everything up with these names."

"Come on guys. Eric did good," Kensi said with a grin.

Callen turned his disbelieving gaze to Kensi.

"Two kick ass agents on the run. What better movie is there?"

Lucy giggled and Callen turned back to her; a curious look in his eyes.

"Just please G," Lucy said, "remember that you are supposed to be protecting me, not killing me!"

Callen her gaze with his eyes and held it. "I have a lot I want to do with you," he said softly and watched as her eyes went slightly wider and a dusting of pink flared on her cheeks. "Killing is most definitely not on that list."

Deeks made a noise in the back of his throat, resembling someone throwing up. Lucy turned to him and raised her eyebrows

"However," she said menacingly to Deeks who promptly stopped.

"Just something caught in my throat," Deeks muttered in an attempt to extricate himself from hot water. "Some bread, from the sandwiches."

"What's the plan?" Kensi asked bringing their attention back to how they were actually going to keep Lucy safe.

"There's a surveillance van across the street. One of you will be in here with us, one or two of you will be over there. Sleep on a rota," Callen said. "We've got cameras to install. -"

"Done," interrupted Deeks, "whilst you two 'slept' earlier." Deeks included the air quotes around slept and Lucy reached out and punched him in the arm. Deeks continued to look at her like he didn't believe that they had slept.

"All right," Callen nodded. "You three work out who goes where and when. Luce, time to check out your new home."

Callen reached his hand out for her to take and she did. It was time to make sure she knew how to get around, get out and where everything was, in case she needed to know.

"G," Sam called out just before they left the room. Callen turned around to look at him. Sam held up three fingers. Callen shook his head and smiled at Sam's determination.

"Not then either, Sam."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N - You are awesome. I've had an amazing response to this light and fluffy story. Thanks so much._

_Another flashback this time. Enjoy._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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_

**Chapter 9**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 3 _

_Monday - Day 4_

Lucy called him the morning after he'd stopped by when she was sick, just before he left for work.

"You okay?" Callen asked whilst he put on his shoes.

"Better. Miss my doctor though," Lucy replied. "He was here when I went to sleep, but not when I woke up."

Callen smiled at the thought of being there when she woke up one morning. "Didn't think you'd want a strange man staying in your home whilst you were asleep."

"You're not strange," Lucy told him.

Callen chuckled softly. "Not what you said that first night."

"Actually, what I said was that you weren't normal."

Callen was sure he could hear in her voice that she was smiling.

There was a pause before she continued. "Thank you for last night."

"You're welcome. You going to work today?" he asked.

"I'll see how I feel after a shower."

Callen resisted the urge to ask if she wanted company or to comment on how she felt. Instead he told her, "Call me if you need anything and if I can help I will."

"Anything?" Lucy asked cheekily.

Callen grinned and grabbed his keys and gun off the table. "You're definitely feeling better aren't you?"

"Compared to last night, yeah."

Callen heard that tell-tale sound that told him he had another call coming in on his phone; probably Sam complaining that he was late.

"I got to go Luce."

"Bye G. See you sometime."

"Sometime soon," Callen promised.

_Thursday - Day 7_

That sometime soon ended up being Thursday. They had a mission that was pretty full on and taking up all their time. But Callen managed to get some time at lunch; he'd had enough and needed to get out of the office for a break.

Callen had called Lucy a couple of times through the week. He knew she was better and had managed to find out a little about her. Like she always had lunch, out of the office, between twelve and one. She had a strict boss who wasn't impressed if she arrived back late. So at ten minutes to twelve, Callen was parked outside her workplace, leaning against his car, watching the doors for her to come out.

When Lucy walked out she was looking straight at him, a smile on her face complete with two little dimples that had been begging to be kissed that first night. He hadn't managed to do that yet. She must have seen him through the glass doors before he saw her. Thankfully she was alone.

Lucy stepped over to him, stopping just in front. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" she asked.

"Been busy at work, had some time and thought I'd take a chance you'd be interested in having lunch with me."

Callen watched as she let her eyes travel over him before she looked back at his face with a smile on hers.

"Definitely interested," she replied. "Is that what you wear to work normally?"

Callen glanced down and realised he didn't exactly look like a construction worker. "Had meetings in the office today. Get to look decent for a change," he replied.

The lie rolled of his tongue easily but it didn't sit well in his stomach. That feeling that Callen wanted her to know the truth still weighed heavily on him.

Lucy bit her lip, looking like she was stopping herself from saying something.

"What do you want for lunch?" she eventually asked.

"What's good around here?"

Lucy tilted her head and started to turn. "Follow me."

They went to a small, quiet sandwich shop, tucked around a corner of the main thoroughfare. It wasn't crowded and it gave them a chance to talk more. Callen directed the conversation more to her than him, found out a few more things. She didn't know who her father was and her mother died five years ago. She was an only child and she loved to watch old movies, curled up on her couch under a blanket on rainy days.

When they'd finished, Callen walked her back to work. They stood by his car for a moment and just looked at each other. Neither of them seemed to want to be the first to say goodbye.

Callen gave into an urge he'd had since he first saw her walk out the door. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

He thought she had tasted good that first night. He was wrong. At least by comparison. She tasted a whole lot better when it was just her and not a trace of tequila. Even though he could taste the flavours that were still there from lunch, they didn't hide the taste of her quite like the tequila had. Her lips had parted under his eagerly at the first touch of his tongue, their breaths mingled and she kissed him back with just as much need as he had for her. She also fitted perfectly against him. When he'd pulled her close, he'd lent back against his car and she had stepped between his legs. His hands slid over her back, remembering her soft curves - the way they dipped at the waist, flared out to softly rounded hips. His fingers traced slowly up her spine as he deepened the kiss even further and her arms slid around his neck. He felt her body soften into his and for a brief moment, forgot where they were. But reality set in and he slowly toned down and brought an end to the kiss, knowing she would have no doubt as to how it had affected him. He was sure she would also be able to feel his pounding heart where they were touching.

Lucy looked up at him as his hand slid slowly over her neck, confirming that her heart was racing too; that it wasn't just his that he could feel.

She smiled at him. "I was right," she said, a huskiness to her voice.

Callen raised his eyebrows in question.

"You do kiss exceptionally well," Lucy added.

"Pleased to hear you do remember that night."

An alarm went off on her phone, just as she was moving back to him. She closed her eyes and groaned softly.

"I've got to go." Lucy opened her eyes. "Boss will be watching the clock."

"I've got to go out of town for work for a week, maybe a little longer," Callen said. Things were hectic and he didn't want her to wonder if he was losing interest. This would buy him a little time.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"Would you be interested in having dinner with me when I get back?" Callen asked.

Lucy's lips twitched with the smile she was holding back; though she couldn't mask it from her eyes. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Callen grinned. "Depends. If it worked, yes. If it didn't, then it's just a question."

Lucy chuckled softly at his repeated answer from the first night.

"I'd love to."

"I'll call you when I get back."

Lucy nodded and started to move away. He pulled her back for another kiss. It potentially had to last them a week so he made sure it was a good one. And it was; only slightly less passionate and intense than their previous one.

Callen heard someone whistle and broke off the kiss.

"He's cute, Lucy," came a female voice. Lucy turned her head and looked toward the voice. "But is he worth being late for?" The woman looked like she was going to wait for Lucy. She turned back to him.

"I'd better go," Lucy said reluctantly.

"Not worth being late for?" Callen teased.

"Oh yeah, you are. But I only get so many chances with the boss, so I'll save that for when I'm late one morning," she replied suggestively.

"Bye Luce."

"Bye G."

Lucy moved away to join the other woman. Callen heard her companion ask, "He's cute. Who is he?" Lucy turned and glanced back at him, a soft smile on her face. He didn't hear her answer as they went through the doors before she replied.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was one am when Callen woke with a jerk; instantly alert at a sharp but muffled sound from Lucy next to him.

"Shh!" Callen heard a desperate whisper from her side of the bed.

In the dark, with just the light filtering in through the open bedroom door, Callen could see Deeks' shadow right next to Lucy with his hand moving back away from her mouth.

"What the hell –" Deeks covered Lucy's mouth again and shook his head.

Callen moved off the bed quickly, grabbed his gun and checked the hallway before coming back to Lucy and Deeks.

"Deeks. Explain," he quietly demanded.

Deeks urged Lucy off the bed and passed her some shoes. She put them on without question. "There's someone outside. You two need to go."

Callen slipped his shoes on as well and grabbed his jacket from the chair. "Who?"

Deeks shook his head. "Don't know. About to find out though when I get you two out of here. Now. Window. Let's go."

Callen eased the window up quietly and slipped out; grateful it was a single-storey house. Lucy came next and then Deeks, who proceeded to hurry them over the fence and across the neighbouring yard.

The dim moonlight allowed them just enough light to see. Callen and Lucy turned to Deeks as they crouched down low.

"What now?" Lucy whispered.

Deeks handed Callen a set of keys and pulled a bottle of wine out of the bag he had on his back.

"My car is just around the block." Deeks indicated the direction to Callen. "Take it and get her somewhere else. Call Hetty once you're settled and we'll work something else out."

Callen pocketed the keys so they wouldn't make a noise as they moved. "Why aren't we just taking them down?"

"Because there are six of them. Three are coming in from the back, three watching the front."

Deeks opened the bottle of wine, took a mouthful, swirled it round his mouth and spat it out. Then he tipped some of it down his shirt from and some on the ground.

"Deeks," Lucy started.

"Go." Deeks threw enough force into the whispered word to make Lucy jump.

"What are you going to do, Deeks?" she asked as they started to make their way to the fence.

Callen could imagine the grin on Deeks' face at his answer. "Why my dear, what I do best. Improvise, cause a distraction … interpret things differently."

"Marty, don't do anything stupid," Lucy pleaded, worry obvious in her tone.

Deeks snorted quietly. "Take her Callen. Keep her safe."

"Marty-"

Deeks moved away, ignoring her call and Callen grabbed Lucy's hand to stop her going after him. He pulled her with him and made their way quickly over the next fence. After a few more backyards and fences the came to the end of the street and found Deeks' car.

Callen checked the street carefully before hurrying Lucy into the car and driving away. He left the lights off until they were a good half a dozen blocks away. He glanced over at Lucy where she sat in the passenger's seat. Her hand was up to her mouth and he was sure she was biting her nails. He reached over to take her hand in his.

"Luce, he'll be fine," Callen said, hoping his tone was positive enough to reassure her.

She looked at him. "How do you know?"

"Because Kensi and Sam won't let anything happen to him." That much he did know.

"But we don't know what's going on," she said.

In their haste to get out the house, neither of them had grabbed the earpieces that had been on the bedside tables. Lucy was still in her pyjamas whilst he was in sweatpants and a t-shirt under his hastily thrown on jacket.

"I'll call Hetty as soon as I find somewhere for us to stay," Callen told her. He'd have to find somewhere for them and let Hetty send someone to get them. They couldn't take any risks that someone might follow them back to OSP. "Let's just take it one step at a time and trust that Deeks knows what he is doing."

"Yeah. Let's hope," she agreed softly.

They drove in silence, Callen making a few loops to double check that they weren't being tailed. Eventually he found a small motel in an out of the way suburb. He pulled in and got them two rooms, leaving Deeks' car parked at the one down the far end of the lot. They settled into the other one, which was only two rooms away from the office. Callen opened the curtains at the back of the room to allow some moonlight in rather than turn on the lights which would only bring attention to them being awake.

It gave enough or them to see what they were doing and Lucy started to make some tea whilst Callen called Hetty.

"What's happening Hetty? What did Deeks do?"

~~~~~~~~~~~o

Deeks moved quickly to the home two doors up from the safe house. The 'For Sale' sign outside, plus a little research into those living around the area had told them the house was empty. Careful to stay low and out of sight, he slipped onto the front porch and picked the lock on the door.

He opened it silently; grateful for no squeaks. Deeks stood up and proceeded to slam it shut before he 'stumbled' his way down the stairs and onto the footpath rather noisily.

"Mary Jean!" he called out in a loud drunk voice. "Mary Jean. Come out, Sweetheart!"

"Deeks! What the hell are you doing?" Kensi asked through the earpiece.

Deeks ignored her and continued to stumble his way up the footpath, noting where two of the intruders were concealed. Continuing the pretence of being drunk, he took another mouthful of wine, not spitting it out this time.

"Mary Jean!" he yelled again as he stopped in front of the house. "Come on. Come talk to me. I only wanna talk."

Deeks started to weave his way awkwardly up the path. He stopped a few paces back from the steps that led up to the front porch. "Or are you with him?" Deeks asked with a disgusted tone in his voice.

With that, Deeks looked down at the bottle in his hands and then launched it at the front window, which made a resounding smash as the bottle sailed through it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the movement that meant his little scene had worked.

"You are with him!" he continued to rant as he covertly watched an intruders come up on each side of him from the shadows. "That's why–"

"Go," came a gruff voice interrupting his rant. "You shouldn't be here."

The accent was there but they seemed to be trying to hide it. Deeks tried hard to work out where it was from. He needed them to talk more.

"What?" Deeks muttered turning around and pretending to almost trip over his own feet. "She got bodyguards now to protect her from little ol' me?"

Deeks gave a rather loud drunken chuckle as he tapped one of them on the chest. "Well at least she's got good taste. Better than that guy she ditched me for. Wouldn't know which end of a porcupine to pat if he had instructions." Deeks frowned. "No that's not right. Can't pat a porcupine. What am I trying to say?"

The 'bodyguard' put rough hands on Deeks' shoulders and turned him around. "I said you shouldn't be here."

Deeks felt the light go on in his brain. Now he knew the accent.

"Shouldn't be here? Mary Jean, she's my girl. " Deeks turned toward the house. "She's in there," he pointed. Then he frowned and turned back to the biggest guy. "Wait. This isn't Mary Jean's house. Aw hell, now I've pissed of the new neighbours."

There was a crash from inside and Deeks spun back around. "What was that?" he asked as he stumbled into the second intruder.

"None of your business. Go home and sleep it off. Or…" The tone was firm and lethal. There was no room for doubt. If Deeks didn't go now, even he could tell that he would be in serious trouble.

"Deeks get out of there now," Sam ordered in his ear.

Deeks held his hands up in surrender. "I'm going, I'm going. Geez a guy just wanted to talk. Just cause I turned the wrong way and ended up here instead of over there somewhere," he said with a wave of his hand in the other direction as he stepped away and stumbled back down to his 'house'. He disappeared down the path, muttering undecipherable words under his breath loudly enough that they could hear him and slammed the door again.

Carefully he slipped off the porch and hid in the bushes to wait for them to go.

"Deeks," Kensi started to say.

"In a minute." Deeks listened carefully but he couldn't hear anything else from inside the house. Eventually the six intruders left and Deeks made his way to the surveillance van.

"What the hell were you thinking Deeks?" Kensi hissed at him when the door closed.

"Worried about me were you, Fern?"

Kensi glared at him. So did Sam.

"Look, have a little faith. I knew what I was doing. What did you two get from that little encounter?"

Kensi rolled her eyes. "That you have a death wish and that I am not coming along for the ride."

"Tsk Tsk, dearest Kensi. You weren't paying attention." Deeks looked from Kensi to Sam, but Sam didn't seem to have picked up on it either so Deeks explained. "They weren't American and they weren't Italian. Why are there Russians after Mika?"

There was a moment of silence.

"Russians? You sure?" Sam asked.

Deeks nodded. He kept his tone serious so Kensi and Sam would believe his next words and not think that he was joking. "Yeah. Russians with body armour, muscled like you and silencers on their pistols."

"Maybe Marino hired a hit squad," Kensi suggested as Sam started the van.

"No," Sam said with a shake of his head. "Marino has a thing about Russians. He hates them, refuses to do business with them."

"Why?" Kensi asked.

"Don't know," Deeks replied. "No one seems to know." It was in the file that he didn't deal with them, but didn't have an explanation.

"Call Hetty. Tell her what we know. Maybe Eric can pull something off the surveillance."

Sam pulled out of the driveway and headed back to the office, eager to find out what was going on with Callen and Lucy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o

Callen hung up after he'd finished talking to Hetty and turned to Lucy.

"Is he all right?" she asked quickly as she handed him a cup of tea.

"He's fine," Callen assured her. "The only scratch he got was from when he was hiding in the bushes. He managed to end up between a standard one and a rose. Hetty is going to send Sam to get us once they get back to the office."

Lucy frowned. "She's not just sending someone else now?"

Callen shook his head. "No. We're keeping this as contained as we can, Luce. We don't know how they found us or how they found us so quickly. Hetty wants to make sure there aren't any leaks. For now Hetty, Sam, Eric, Deeks and Kensi are the only ones who are going to know anything about what's happening."

Lucy put her tea down. Even in the dim light Callen had noticed that her hands had started to shake. He did the same and pulled her into his arms. She settled against him, almost like she was trying to find a place hide from everything in them.

"Sam will be here soon," he assured her softly. "He'll bring his car just in case anyone is following us. Trust me, we don't want to be in the surveillance van if someone is."

Sam's car was still at the office, they'd taken his to the safe house and there it would stay in the garage until this was over and they could check it for bugs. Just in case.

Lucy put her head down on his shoulder and her arms tightened a little more around him. "Who was it? At the house? Do we know?" she asked quietly, enjoying listening to the reassuring thump of his heart.

"No, we don't," Callen said, a frown creasing his forehead. He really didn't want to tell her what he knew. Not that he really knew anything but the Russian presence confused him. It confused them all. Eric was looking into it, but until then, he'd keep that piece of information to himself. One less thing for her to worry about.

Lucy raised her head. "What do we do now?"

"Wait for Sam." Callen saw the fear in her eyes and wanted to ease it, so he lowered his head and caught her lips in his. Her response was more than he was expecting and for a few brief seconds he forgot Hetty's orders.

Callen pulled back and cleared his throat. "Okay, so that was definitely something I wouldn't mind repeating when we don't have to worry about who might be crashing through the door."

Lucy chuckled softly. "I thought no one knew where we are and we're not expecting Sam for a little bit." She lifted her eyebrows in question and waited.

Callen smiled. "True, but … Luce, I want to keep you safe. I can't do that when you wipe everything from my mind with a kiss."

"Apparently I'm not that effective since you stopped."

Being found so quickly at the safe house had put his wishful thoughts of 'optional' activities on the back burner, even though he had temporarily forgotten that just before. Until they knew what they were up against, he needed to be very alert.

Callen tucked her hair behind her ear. "You are effective. Very effective. I don't want anything to happen to you. There's a lot we haven't done yet. I don't plan on missing out on anything with you."

Lucy caught her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment before she stepped back. "I'll try and behave … You'll just have to try and stop being so irresistible though."

Lucy retrieved her tea and sat down on the bed to drink it. Callen noticed that she was still shaking a little and removed his jacket to put around her shoulders. She slipped her arms into it and smiled her thanks.

"How long do you think it will be before Sam gets here?"

Callen glanced at his watch. "Half an hour maybe. Shouldn't be much traffic out there at this time of the morning."

Lucy nodded and took another sip. Callen was about to do the same when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He put down his cup and moved to the door. Hearing voices Callen turned and signalled to Lucy not to say anything. He carefully shifted the curtains just a fraction and peeked out. He swore under his breath as three dark figures passed the window and moved toward the other end of the motel.

Whilst Callen couldn't be sure they were here for them, his instincts were screaming that they were. He'd told Hetty they'd be in the room at the end, just in case. He figured he would watch out for Sam and they would go out when they saw him. He moved back to Lucy.

"Are they –" She stopped at the shake of his head.

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. We'll go out back. There are woods behind here. We should be able to hide in there easily until we can sort out something with Sam." Callen took her hand and with a strong sense of deja vu guided her out the window and into the woods. When he had them in deep enough, Callen stopped them and gave Sam a call.

"Sam, need a plan B. Someone knew where we were."

"You okay?"

"We're out of there. But come up with something quick then call me back," Callen told him whilst his eyes scanned the darkness around the trees for any sign they had been followed.

"You got it. G?"

"What Sam?

"Four?"

Callen rolled his eyes. "No."


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N - Sorry for the delay. Plot bunnies have been writing instead of editing!_

_Disclaimer in chapter 1_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o  
_

**Chapter 11**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 4 - Day 16 Saturday night._

Callen smiled. He stepped out of his car, locked it and pocketed the keys. He could see her light on and knew she was home. It had been just over a week since he'd had lunch with Lucy. Since those two kisses. Much too long between meetings.

Work had been complicated and he had really needed to concentrate, so Callen had kept away. She was too tempting and distracting. But now the case was done and dusted. It was Saturday night and he was hoping she was free. He hadn't called because he'd wanted to surprise her. He liked the look on her face when he did.

Callen raised his hand to knock on her door but it opened before he could. There she was, standing in front of him; all dressed up. Her dress was red; red velvet and soft silk, if he was right. The red velvet bodice hugged her curves and left her shoulders bare, aside from the sparkly spaghetti straps that he was sure were simply for decoration. The silk fell to just above her ankles, mostly straight, with a split to mid-thigh on one leg. She had heeled sparkly shoes, to match the straps. The shoes showed off the matching coloured toe nails. His gaze drifted back up to her face, though at the same time his hopes sank a little that she wasn't free.

"G!" She smiled and her eyes sparkled in delight.

"Hi. You're going out."

Lucy looked down and then back up at him and he saw the disappointment on her face, like she had temporarily forgotten. "Yeah," she admitted. "It's my best friends Hen's night."

"A Hens' night? Traditional kind?" Callen asked. Best friend? He was pretty sure he didn't stand a chance of getting her to skip it.

A slight blush went over her cheeks before she smiled at him. "With a 'Lady in Red' theme. Drinks, dinner, dancing. Probably a strip club after."

Callen raised his eyebrows. "You're going to go to a strip club?"

Lucy's lips twitched in an attempt to hold back a smile. She stepped forward toward him, almost into his arms. It wouldn't take much.

"That depends," she answered, her voice low and her fingers brushing over the collar of his shirt. "Whether or not I'd get a private showing if I came home instead."

Callen smiled. "Are you suggesting I'm more tempting than a strip club?" He ran the backs of his fingers over one of her shoulders and down her arm, pleased when he saw the delicate shiver that went through her.

"Very intuitive of you," she replied. "More tempting than any of tonight, cause I don't think I'll be wanting to dance unless you happen to be where we're going."

Callen slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. He liked the colour on her better, but preferred the feel of the little black cashmere dress that she was wearing that first night. The velvet was thicker and didn't move under his fingers. Her hair was up, leaving her neck free, and he took advantage and placed a soft kiss just below her ear. "Where would that be?" he whispered softly. She smelled like flowers. A very delicate rose scent.

She named an upmarket bar and restaurant nearby. He couldn't help but smile at the distracted note in her voice.

"I don't have any other plans yet. I might be able to swing by." He had a change of clothes in the car that would pass. He was just about to kiss her when a car horn beeped.

She looked up at him, disappointment clear in her eyes that they had been interrupted. "That'll be my ride."

"Mind if I get changed here and meet you there?"

Lucy shook her head. "Not at all, especially if that means you'll be there sooner. Just lock the door on your way out."

Callen stepped back away to let her go as the horn beeped again impatiently.

"Luce," he called out before she got too far away. She turned and waited for him to continue. "I won't be cramping your style will I if I come along?"

"No." She grinned. "You are my style. You'll just have to pick a different table to us that's all. But I promise I won't ignore you and you'll definitely be mine to dance with."

"Deal."

She smiled again, turned and walked away, her hips swaying seductively under the red silk that slid over them intimately, the way his hands wanted to be doing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~o

It didn't take him long to change into the black dress pants and long sleeve blue button-up shirt he had in the bag he kept in his car just in case. They just need a quick press and he'd be out of here in no time.

It was odd being in her apartment, alone. The agent in him was tempted to go through a few of her things, try and find a little more about her. Something to help him figure out how she'd managed to intrigue him as much as she did from the first moment he'd laid eyes on her. But the man in him told him that she'd trusted him and he shouldn't betray that. Plus, there was a beautiful woman in a red dress that was waiting for him and if he didn't want someone else to make a play for her, he'd better hurry up.

Callen guessed he was probably only about fifteen minutes behind her by the time he walked into the bar area. She'd said drinks first so he figured this would be the most likely place to find her.

It didn't take much. Eight women dressed in varying shades of red at one table was almost as good as a glowing neon arrow above them saying 'She's Here!' And again, she stood out and caught his attention.

Callen couldn't tell you anything about the other women there, but he could tell you about her smile and the dimples that formed when she did and the sparkle in her eyes when she saw him. He could tell you about the way her hair swished in the ponytail and lightly brushed her shoulders when she moved her head. He could tell you that he was a touch jealous of said ponytail. Then there was the way her tongue flicked over her bottom lip after each sip of wine, like she was trying to savour every drop. He wasn't sure why she did it (he had a feeling it wasn't deliberate) but that innocent habit was driving him crazy.

Callen ordered a beer from the bar and found a table a little away from the group but in easy viewing distance. He'd barely been there five minutes when she made her way over to him. It looked like she might have been being encouraged by the other women of the party because they were watching her and giggling behind their wine glasses.

Lucy sashayed over to him, a walk that was similar to the way she had walked away from him earlier. The split in the dress gave him a good view of her leg with each step and he got side-tracked by that view. Until she stumbled for the second time. How she managed to not spill anything out of her wine glass he wasn't sure.

Callen frowned when she stumbled again and watched her carefully. It wasn't that she'd tripped on something that she couldn't see. Something wasn't right. That first night she'd downed just over half a bottle of Tequila and seemed sober. She'd danced and walked easily, almost like she'd had nothing at all to drink. If he hadn't kissed her and tasted the tequila he would've doubted what was in the bottle. But he had and he knew that she could handle her alcohol. He also knew he hadn't smelt any on her breath when he'd almost kissed her at her place barely twenty minutes ago.

She finally reached him but stumbled again. Callen caught her and pulled her into his arms. With one hand he held her up whilst the other took the wine glass out of her hand and put it on the table.

"Luce?"

"Hi gorgeous. You wanna dance?" she asked, speech slurred. There was no way there was time for her to have consumed enough alcohol for it to have that much effect on her in so little time.

Callen cupped her chin and turned her face toward the light that was behind him so he could get a better look at her eyes. She flinched and tried to pull her head away.

"Luce. Look at me," he ordered firmly. She did. She smiled and moved closer to kiss him but he stopped her. Her eyes. They were wrong. Gone were the vibrant deep colours. They were dull and glazed.

"You don't wanna –"

Callen put a hand over her mouth to stop her talking. "Luce, how much have you drunk?"

Lucy frowned and visibly looked like she was trying to focus on the answer. She also looked like she was struggling with it. "Umm, this is the second, I think. Beth got wine for us to start."

"Are you sure this is only the second?" Callen asked gesturing to the mostly full glass on the table.

She nodded and Callen saw a little bit of fear in those dull eyes of hers.

"G?" Lucy whispered. "What's going on?"

"I think you've been drugged," Callen said quietly, just for her.

"No, couldn't have." She shook her head and winced at the action. "The bottles. They brought out bottles not glasses."

"Luce. I'm taking you to the hospital. Where's your bag?"

Callen had no idea what or how much of whatever it was she'd taken. He wasn't taking any chances.

"The others. What about them?"

He'd have smiled at that if he wasn't so worried about her. Even in the midst of what was happening to her she was concerned about her friends.

"I know someone," Callen assured her. "When we're out of here, I'll call them. If whoever did this is still here, we don't want them to get suspicious and leave. We want to get them."

"But Beth, what if-"

"Shh, It's okay," Callen said soothingly, hoping to help her calm down. He'd heard the distress in her voice just now. "We'll wait outside until they get here, just in case someone tries to take any of them somewhere. Now, please Luce, where's your bag?"

"Cloakroom," she said. It took her three tries to pull out a little slip of paper that she had tucked in the top of her dress for safe keeping and Callen fought down the desire that slammed through him to do it for her. He would have offered if it had been solely just to help, but it wasn't. She was tempting and the thought of touching her was distracting. But tonight wasn't the night. Even if he'd considered taking that next step with her tonight, this would have changed things. It was also best that he didn't do anything to tempt either of them.

"Let's go." Callen stood up and slipped an arm around her. He didn't want to create a scene. Though he did need to make this look legitimate so as not to spook whoever was behind this. So he stopped them and leaned close to her ear.

"Luce, I promise you are safe with me. But I need to kiss you," Callen told her.

Lucy smiled. "I was wondering what was taking you so long." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before he had a chance to do it himself.

Whistles and cheers brought their attention back to the room. Lucy looked up at him and blinked slowly, almost dazed. She turned toward the whistles and heard her best friend call out to her. "Oh My!" Beth fanned her face with her hand and winked. "Go. We'll talk tomorrow!"

Lucy looked back to him; that dazed look, that wasn't entirely from the drugs, still there in her eyes. "Well, I guess that covers me leaving early."

Callen steered her away and she gave a vague wave back to the group. They retrieved her bag and Callen managed to get her into the car without incident. He got into the driver's seat and called Deeks.

"Hey Callen," Deeks answered rather cheerfully. There was noise in the background. Sounded like Deeks was out partying too. Callen didn't really feel like spoiling his night but Deeks was the quickest contact he had that could handle this.

"Need a favour."

"Favour? From me? What? You need a girl?" Deeks teased.

"No. LAPD Drug Squad." Callen told Deeks where and what he suspected. Deeks would know exactly who to contact to get them here the fastest. Even if LAPD in general didn't particular like Deeks, they would take this seriously.

"Where are you going to be?" Deeks asked, his tone much more serious now. Callen could also hear him better so he assumed Deeks had found somewhere quieter.

"As soon as you or they arrive, I'm taking my friend to the hospital. She's been drugged but she's worried about her friends. I've promised we'll stay until someone gets here."

"I'll call them now. Then I come by. Who am I looking to protect?" Deeks asked.

Callen glanced at Lucy and saw her fight to lift her hand to brush some hair out of her face. She couldn't and she dropped her hand back in her lap and looked at him helplessly. He moved as close as he could in the car and reached for her hand, hoping it would somehow reassure her she was safe.

"The ladies in red," he told Deeks. "Hen's night. Maybe more. Not sure if it's targeted or random."

"See you in five or less," Deeks replied and then hung up.

"You know someone in the LAPD?" Lucy asked. Her voice was getting more slurred.

"Yeah. Someone will be here soon."

"G?"

"Yeah Luce?" Callen reached up and brushed the hair off her face.

"Thank you," she softly. "So much could've happened if you hadn't been here."

"Glad I was here too."

Lucy put her head back on the seat. Callen could see she was having trouble keeping her eyes open and it worried him what had been in the wine. He reached out and gently stroked her neck, hoping she wouldn't suspect what he was really trying to do.

"Faster than normal," she said with a slight smile. "You know some of that is because of you, not whatever drugs these were."

Callen smiled. "I didn't want to worry you."

"I know the signs, at least now I know what to look for."

Callen frowned and was about to ask how she knew the signs when a familiar car drove in. Callen recognised it as Deeks'. He glanced at the time and wondered if Hetty would be receiving a speeding ticket for him any time soon. If she did, Callen knew he'd offer to pay for it himself. He was grateful at how fast Deeks had made it. It meant getting Lucy to the hospital quicker. He started the car and pulled out just as he saw Deeks, Kensi and Sam get out of it. Nice to know that Sam and Kensi were attempting to bond as a team with Deeks. Callen noticed the look on their faces was serious and Deeks was striding toward the door of the bar quickly, easily outpacing the other two.

"But," Lucy started to protest weakly.

"It's okay. Back-up arrived. They'll be fine. Let's get you out of here."

~~~~~~~~~o

She could barely walk up the path to the emergency room without stumbling over every second step; that was with her leaning on him as well. Callen was honestly surprised that she hadn't passed out yet, though was grateful that she hadn't. He picked her up and carried her into the hospital. It was safer for everyone that way. Her head dropped on his shoulder and she didn't protest; not a peep.

It didn't take long to get her into an exam room. Things were mercifully quiet and Callen didn't need to pull out his badge to get them seen to. The doctor and nurse were efficient and quick, taking a basic statement from them both as well as doing all the necessary tests and a physical examination to put it on the record that nothing had happened to her. The nurse would get someone to take care of filing the necessary reports with the LAPD for them.

Whilst they were getting a room sorted for her, Callen caught sight of the tears that fell onto her cheeks. She didn't even try and brush them away.

"You okay?" He wanted to step closer but he needed to be careful. He didn't want to scare her more by pushing into her personal space. He'd wait for her to ask.

She shook her head. "No."

Callen could hear the tears and the fear in her voice. He felt an ache in his chest, right where his heart was, at what she was going through.

"Hey," he said gently. "You'll be fine, okay. Once you've had some sleep." And a few days or so to get over the massive hang-over he added silently.

Lucy looked at him, pleading with him for help. Her eyes, dull from the drugs were shining with tears. "Will you stay?" she asked.

"Of course," Callen replied. He took a step closer to the bed and watched her reaction carefully. She made a move to reach out to him. It was weak but it was there and he took it as an invitation to finish closing the distance between them. He took her hand and brushed a kiss across her fingers.

Once her room was ready, Callen scooped her up and held her close to his chest. He carried her to the room quickly. The nurse had wanted to wait until they brought a wheelchair but he'd ignored her. Lucy was so close to passing out and he wanted her settled before she did, hoping it would help when she woke up later; that maybe she'd have some small recollection that she was in the same place that she went to sleep. He placed her gently on the bed and tucked her in. He looked up once he had done that and saw her eyes were closed and her breathing reasonably even. She was already asleep. Callen placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep well Luce. I'll keep you safe. I promise."

Callen didn't care that she wouldn't hear. He meant every word. He sat down on the chair next to the bed to wait out the night whilst the nurse attached an IV to keep her fluids up, and monitors to keep an eye on her vitals.

Deeks called about an hour later and told him that they'd caught the guy. Guys actually. There had been a group of three men looking to make the most of the night. One of the bartenders was in on it as well, which was how the bottles of wine the girls had been drinking had been spiked. All of the 'Ladies in Red' had been taken to a hospital, were safe and sound and in the process of being checked over. It didn't appear that anyone else had been targeted.

When Deeks had asked how his friend was doing, Callen told him she was scared. He hoped that since she had barely had one glass of a spiked bottle, she'd recover quickly, but it would depend on how much had ended up in her glass. Obviously it was a reasonable amount considering how quickly it had affected her. He was concerned that she had perhaps had the last glass from the bottle and ended up with more than the other girls in the group if it hadn't dissolved completely. Deeks told him how the others were and they didn't sound quite as bad as Lucy, giving him more reason to believe that she'd ended up with a larger dose. LAPD had only been a couple of minutes behind so nothing bad had happened to any of them. Callen knew Lucy would be relieved to know that. He thanked Deeks for his help and how quickly he'd arrived, and apologised for spoiling his party night. Deeks assured him it wasn't a problem, he was glad he could help. Callen's opinion of their liaison officer and newest team member had certainly risen tonight.

The chair wasn't that comfortable but it wasn't like he was going to be sleeping.

It was about seven in the morning when Callen finally heard a sound from the bed that brought him out of the vague little nap he'd fallen into.

"Luce?" he said quietly as he took her hand gently in his.

"G?" Lucy opened her eyes but shut them quickly. "OW."

"Head hurts?" he asked, knowing it was highly likely. He kept his voice low so as not to add to her pain.

"Like I've had it crashed into a brick wall."

"I'll ask how you know what that feels like another time. Do you remember anything about last night?"

Lucy opened her eyes a little and looked at him. "You came to my place. I was leaving. I remember getting there. I kind of remember you being there, but everything else is … not there." She looked around the room and then back to him, her eyes going a little wider. "Hospital? What happened?"

"Some guys had the bartender slip some drugs into the wine you were drinking."

"GHB?" she whispered.

"They're still testing but yeah, most likely some form."

"Beth?" she asked.

"The girls are fine, or at least they will be. LAPD raided the bar, got the guys and the bartender and the girls are safe. Nothing happened to any of them. They were taken to the hospital too."

"This one?" she asked.

"I don't know," Callen told her.

Lucy looked at him for a moment before asking, "Why are you here? You should have gone home."

Callen shook his head. "I brought you in. I promised to keep you safe."

"I'm sure you were wonderful. I'm sorry I don't remember." She closed her eyes.

"Luce," Callen said and waited for her to open them again. "Nothing happened. Listen to me okay. I came to the bar. You'd only been there a max of fifteen minutes by the time I got there. We left within five and I brought you straight here. The doctor checked you over, did an exam to put it on the record that nothing had happened to you so that there was some official record for you. You can see it anytime."

Lucy frowned. "Why? I trust you."

Those three words had never made Callen feel so good as they did right now.

"You told them that. But we knew there was a strong probability you wouldn't remember anything. I wanted you to know nothing happened. Plus, the doctor was eyeing me off suspiciously."

Lucy smiled a little and there was a small sparkle in her eyes that he was pleased to see again. "Was it a female? Cause if it was, I doubt it was suspiciously."

Callen smiled. "No. Not a female."

"How long before this wears off?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. Effects vary, depending a lot of things," Callen said. "Anywhere between 24 hours and four or five days depending on how much ended up in your system."

She closed her eyes again and took a slow and careful breath. "Let's hope less, cause I can't take time off work. Too important."

"I'm sure they'll understand. This isn't your fault."

Lucy opened her eyes and looked at him. "Thank you for staying. This is not the way I want this relationship to continue though."

Callen frowned and found himself worried that she was about to call things off.

"You keep rescuing me," Lucy clarified. "I'd just like a normal date with you; no lines, no flu, no drugs and not remembering."

Callen lent closer and smiled, relieved that he'd been wrong. "Sounds good. So how about –" He got cut off when his phone rang.

"Sam, what's up?"

"Just checking on you. Everything all right?"

Callen watched Lucy as he spoke. "Yeah. I'm fine." Her eyes starting to drift closed and her hand eased its hold on his.

"Your friend?"

"She's okay." Callen watched as her eyes fluttered closed again and her breathing evened out. "She's sleeping again."

He carefully laid her hand down on the bed and sat back in his chair.

"There's a case. Hetty wants you in, if you are okay to leave," Sam told him.

"Can't you handle it?" Callen asked, looking at the woman sleeping in the bed. He didn't want to leave her, especially without saying goodbye.

"It's got a touch of Callen to it. Need you in. Hold on, here's Hetty."

"Mr Callen," came Hetty's voice in his ear. "We do need you on this one. Is it possible you could join us shortly?"

Callen sighed. He knew that tone with Hetty. "I'll come in after she wakes up again. I'm not leaving without letting her know."

"Fair enough Mr Callen," Hetty replied. He was a touch surprised at how easily she had accepted his decision. "We'll see you soon."

Callen hung up and pocketed his phone. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew Hetty wouldn't have pushed if it wasn't important. Deeks would probably have filled her in on what had happened last night which could explain Hetty's acceptance of him not wanting to leave yet. Hetty would understand that for him to be here in the hospital with someone, then that someone was important. He sat back and waited patiently for Lucy to wake up again.

She did - an hour and a half later.

"Hi," she whispered and ran her tongue over her dry lips. Callen reached for the water beside her bed.

"Hi. Feeling a bit better?" Callen asked as he helped her take a sip and put the cup back down.

"Not really. Stomach feels worse."

Callen brushed her hair off her face. "Luce, I have to go. I'm sorry I can't stay. Emergency at work."

Lucy smiled sleepily. "It's okay. I'll be fine."

"I don't know when I'll be able free to come see you, but I'll call you later today. Either here or at home."

"G, you don't have to."

"I want to," Callen told her. He stood up and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Sleep Luce. The doctor will send you home when you are ready, but call me if you need anything. My number is in your file. The nurse can get it for you."

Lucy smiled. "No need. I know what it is."

Callen gave her a lopsided grin that made her heart flutter a little. He knew this because she was still attached to the monitors. It made his grin even bigger and he caught the slight blush on her cheeks. "Know it off by heart already?"

"Of course. Don't you know mine?" she teased lightly.

"Yep, not likely to forget it. Now sleep."

She closed her eyes and smiled again. Callen moved to the door and heard her soft voice say, "Bossy, but I can live with that."


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N - Plot bunnies have finally co-operated and moved to polishing - at least for a little bit. No guarantees with them at the moment. I think someone might have spiked their carrots! ;-)_

_Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Action abounds but hopefully enough other stuff to make up for the more serious previous chapter. Just as a little reminder, we're back to the present in this chapter.  
_

_Disclaimer in chapter 1_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o  
_

**Chapter 12**

Callen and Lucy waited and watched, listening carefully for any sign that they were being followed. After a few minutes, Lucy started to relax. She turned to Callen but the snapping of twigs caused them both to tense.

"_Here. Tracks. They must have made a run for it."_

Callen, who knew enough Italian to understand, grabbed Lucy's hand and did just that. Even in the dark he seemed to know where he was going and that made Lucy feel just that little bit safer, even as she struggled to keep up with him and was breathing hard. She only just managed to do it. Hiking she could just about beat him hands down, but running flat out was a very different story.

When a bullet ricocheted off a tree only a few feet to their left, Callen's pace picked up. He dragged Lucy in front of him to give her some form of protection and pushed her along. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted something large. He glanced across and then abruptly changed direction shepherding her behind the large boulder.

"You okay?" he asked in a hushed whisper whilst he pulled out the phone and called Eric.

She took a few deep breaths before answered. "I'm alive," she replied and he couldn't help but smile. At least she was still looking on the bright side of things. They heard more gunfire only it wasn't too close. Callen figured they were just shooting in the hopes of hitting something or scaring them into running. He held onto the slim amount of hope that it meant they didn't know where they were exactly.

"Callen?" came Eric's voice.

"Eric, help us out," Callen said quickly and quietly. "Don't know where we are or how to get out of here."

He pulled Lucy close to him so she could hear as well, save him having to repeat any directions as he wasn't going to put it on speaker.

"On it."

The gunfire increased and Lucy jumped with just about every sound. Callen held her tight.

"Come on Eric," he pleaded. "Not a lot of time."

"G," came Sam's voice. "You sure know how to pick 'em," he said.

"What do you mean Sam?" The gunfire sounded like it was getting closer.

"The one girl you decide to stick it out with, turns out not only is her father a psychotic Italian mob boss but you've pissed off her mother as well."

Callen frowned. He had no idea where Sam was head with this. "Just spit it out, Sam. And anyway, even if I have, she's dead."

"Nope. Not really."

"Sam," Lucy interrupted. "My mother died five years ago. Car crash in Russia."

There was a brief moment of silence before Callen hurried Sam up.

"Come on Sam. On the run, getting shot at. Need to know how to get out of it."

Callen kept his ears tuned into both the phone and the noises in the woods. He could hear voices, the occasional crack of a twig, but nothing that suggested their hiding place had been discovered, probably thanks to the fact that whoever was pursuing them wasn't exactly trying to be quiet about it.

"Eric's almost got something for you," Sam told them. "Five years ago in Russia. You headed a team that was attempting to take down part of a terrorist cell. You got them all except for the leader, who you tried to shoot but she got away."

Callen racked his brain and eventually came up with a name.

"Sofya Davidenko?"

"Yep."

"I missed. She slipped away. What's this got to do with anything?"

"One of her alias' that appears to have slipped by unnoticed until now is Sharon Davis."

There was a gasp from Lucy and she looked at Callen. In the dim moonlight he could see the shock on her face.

"You tried to kill my mother?" she whispered, disbelief in her tone though Callen wasn't entirely sure what for – That her mother was apparently alive or that he had tried to shoot her.

"She tried to kill me first," Callen explained quickly. "We just wanted to arrest her."

"G." Sam's voice pulled his attention away Lucy and back to the topic. "She's after you G, and you know it is rare that she doesn't get what she wants."

The gunfire got even closer and they could now hear the voices clearer.

"Sam, need an out now." He'd have to come back to that conversation later.

"Callen," Eric said. "Ballona Creek is about 500 metres north west. If you can get there, it should be deep for a bit with all the rain we've had lately. It might take you further along but worst case, just follow the bike path. One of your back-up apartments isn't far off it at the end, near Marina Del Rey. It's a long way but that's the quickest way out of there I can find."

"G, call if you can and I'll come get you," Sam assured them.

"Thanks Eric. Sam, we'll let you know when we get to the apartment. Not sure the phone will be up for much once it's wet." Callen hung up.

"You up for a swim?" he asked Lucy.

"Normally I would say no, but these are extenuating circumstances." Her voice was quiet and he could hear the confusion, pain and fear in it.

Callen checked his phone for the right direction and pointed her hand the way they would need to go.

"As fast as you can. Don't wait for me if I drop behind. I'll catch up."

"G?"

"Luce. I promise. You owe me a weekend. Go."

They ran, as fast as they could. Callen heard shouts behind them and pushed Lucy on. He kept his ear tuned with those behind, making sure they weren't catching up at least not too fast. 500 metres Eric said. Shouldn't take them long. He pulled out his gun just in case, ready to fire but he didn't need to. They came across the creek and he quickly holstered the weapon before they jumped, hand in hand; thankful Eric had been right about depth. Callen waited a brief moment to work out which way it was flowing and then tugged on Lucy's arm. She understood and they both started swimming quietly in the direction of the current.

Callen kept his ear tuned into their pursuers and when he estimated that they were getting close to the creek, he signalled to her to go under with him and grabbed her hand as they did. The current dragged them along as they stayed as still as they could, waited until the last possible moment before they came up. Lucy tried hard to keep her gasping breaths quiet. Callen checked how far that had come. It looked like they had gone around a bend. He couldn't hear anything. He let out a sigh of relief.

"We did it?" Lucy asked, still breathless.

"Looks like it. It's gonna get shallow soon. The more we can float the less we'll have to walk."

Lucy nodded, which the moonlight allowed him to see. "My mother?" she asked softly.

Callen moved himself closer to her in the water. "You didn't know what she did?"

"No." There was such despair in Lucy's voice that made Callen want to take her in his arms and comfort her. "She was supposed to be travelling, sightseeing. She sent me postcards even. I didn't even know she had a job. I just thought she was living off the inheritance my grandparents had left her."

"I'm sorry," Callen said.

"You said she was the leader?"

"Yes, had been for some time and has been since."

"She still is?"

"Yes," Callen confirmed. "She was quite young when she took over from her father when he was killed. She was able to prove herself capable and most of the organisation support the move. Her father had been training her up for some time." Callen figured it was best if he told her as much as he could, as simply as he could. He knew it was a lot to take in but she needed to know. Especially considering their current situation.

"They must be wrong. It must be a mistake."

Callen could hear the hope in her voice; the hope that her world hadn't been completely shattered in less than twenty four hours. He wished he could say yes.

"I doubt Eric would have made a mistake like that. He'll have realised what this would mean and would have thoroughly checked it out, Luce."

She didn't respond, just gripped his hand even tighter Callen took as a good sign.

Thanks to the rain they managed to stay in the water for most of the bike path, only needing to walk the last mile before they headed off to Callen's small apartment. He'd checked the phone but at this point it time it was water-logged. If he was lucky it would work when it dried out. Though he was pretty sure Hetty wouldn't begrudge him a new one given the circumstances. By the time they got to the apartment Lucy was shivering rather drastically; the chill of the night air, the water, tiredness and the drop in adrenaline hitting her hard. Callen wasn't far behind.

"Shower," Callen ordered as he all but pushed her into the tiny bathroom.

"You're cold too," Lucy said, her teeth chattering.

"I'll go after you. I'll let Sam know we made it."

Lucy shook her head. "No. You come once you've made the call. You need to get warm too."

"Go Luce." Callen ordered her. "Get warm, don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Lucy frowned at him but was hit by a violent shudder before she could say anything else. Callen turned her around and pushed her gently into the shower. It didn't matter that she was still fully clothed. The clothes were dirty anyway.

She reached out and turned the tap on. Callen, confident that she would stay, left the bathroom. He looked around. It had been a while since he had lived here though he did leave some supplies – clothes, phone, a spare weapon, some non-perishable food – just in case. It was always good to have somewhere to run to if another place was compromised. He pulled out the new phone from the hiding place in the floor, switched to a dry weapon and made sure it was fully loaded before calling Sam.

"We made it Sam. We should be okay here. No one else knows about this place and I haven't lived here for ages. Work out a plan. We'll call you later. Need a little sleep."

The run, the swim, the drop in adrenaline would come back to bite them hard if they didn't get a little rest.

"G, once we have a plan, I'm coming to get you."

Callen could hear the protective tone in his partner and realised there wasn't any point in trying to stop Sam. Given Sofya's reputation, Sam had every right to be concerned and want to have his back. Even if they didn't get to sleep here, wherever they went to with Sam should be safe enough to sleep then.

"Fine. Call and let me know when you are on your way. Just so I don't shoot you."

Callen hung up and stepped over to the bathroom door to check on Lucy. He saw the pile of wet clothes on the floor and the steam coming from the shower.

His body reacted to the shadowy shape he could see behind the curtain whilst his mind fought to think of something else. It wasn't successful. Lucy was there in his shower, she'd pretty much invited him to join her. He was sure that it was just that they both needed to get warm. Though the thoughts that he couldn't keep out of his mind were starting to help take the chill off his body, at least parts of it. Things just kept getting in the way of them being together. It had started with him wanting to take it slow, but now it was something else entirely. This weekend should have been spent in her apartment, getting to know one another in an entirely different way, not running from her murderous parents. Callen started to push himself away from the wall to leave when he heard her soft voice.

"G, you don't have to watch from out there. I did tell you to join me."

"Not sure that's a good idea," Callen admitted, though he was pleased to hear that she could talk without the chattering of teeth.

"You're cold and wet and in need of a shower. I'm not warm yet. I promise I'll keep my hands to myself if you want me to."

"What about my hands?" he asked, even as he started to pull off his shirt.

"They can go wherever they want," she replied, her tone low and full of … hope was about the closest he was willing to admit.

Callen stepped out of the rest of his clothes and dropped them next to hers. She was right. He was cold and did need to get warm. Body heat was even better than a shower; surely he could combine the two and help them both get warm quickly.

Five weeks of wanting was a long time though and his body reacted instantly to the sight of her naked body, even though she was facing away from him. She made a move to turn but he put his hands on her shoulders to stop her. He wasn't sure how much temptation he could take and he was still worried about who was after them. It was going to take every ounce of his self-control to keep this to a shower and getting them warm.

"Just don't turn around okay," Callen said. Even he could hear the pleading in his voice. "I'll help you get warm but…"

Would it really be that bad to give in? He'd told Sam they should be safe here.

"G," she whispered and turned her head to look back up at him. "I'm not going to push, but I'm not going to tell you I don't want you. Here, now, whenever you're ready."

Callen looked into her eyes and saw it. He saw that she really cared about him. That she wanted him, even knowing who he was she still wanted to be with him. And some of his resistance went out the window when she nervously licked her lips, caught her bottom lip with her teeth and swallowed. His eyes couldn't help follow the movement down her throat. He gave up.

One kiss. Surely he had enough control to stop after that. He turned her to him and pulled her body into his. Warm and wet from the shower, still slightly slippery from the soap. He heard her gasp just before his lips touched hers, probably shocked that he'd actually given in and started this. Then Lucy was kissing him back and all the control he had left she obliterated with the first sweep of her tongue past his lips. One hand ran down her back and then up into her hair, holding her head still whilst he explored every inch of that sweet tasting mouth. His other arm rested around her waist holding her close. Her hands ran down his arms, up to his shoulders and around his neck. Finally he had to pull back for some much needed air. Their eyes locked on one another and he stared into those blue-green eyes of hers. He'd never seen them looking so vibrant.

She licked her lips, the motion pulling his gaze from her eyes.

"We should probably get you washed too," she said softly. He did hear the touch of mischievousness in her tone as she stepped back slightly from him and grabbed the bottle of body wash. Before he could even register what she intended to do, his mind stilling humming with the memory of the kiss and the feel of her against him, she lathered the soap in her hands. Then his mind completely lost focus when her hands touched him; his shoulders, arms chest, back. He put his hands on the wall and closed his eyes, not stopping her. It felt so good to feel her hands on him. He enjoyed every moment of it up until a point when her touch changed from washing to caressing him intimately.

"Enough," he said, almost growling. He couldn't take the temptation anymore. Callen rinsed the soap off both of them as quickly as he could manage with hands that were shaking with the need to touch her in an entirely different way. He tried not to think about that as he finished rinsing them then flicked off the shower. He picked her up and took her to the bed, not caring at all about getting it wet.

"Please," Lucy said softly. He looked up and she smiled. The look in her eyes and that one word was all the invitation Callen needed to continue, because somewhere in the small space of time between turning off the shower and getting her on the bed a part of him had told him to make sure. To make sure she really wanted this and that she wasn't just caught up in the moment. He knew she wasn't. He'd seen that in her eyes and heard it when she said 'please'.

His mouth descended onto hers and the heat from the kiss felt like it could have scorched metal. His hands roamed as did hers and left a trail of fire over his body. It was too fast; he'd wanted their first time to be slow. But between the five week wait, the strong attraction between them and the danger that had heightened all their senses at the moment, it all added up to make the fire between them too consuming to ignore. Slow would have to wait. Callen pulled back for just long enough to reach into the drawer beside the bed and pull out the necessary foil packet. She took it from him and rolled him over, straddling him as she started to open it. He closed his eyes to gain some more control before she touched him again. He opened his eyes and watched her hands move closer. He held his breath and his phone rang. They both froze.

Sam. He knew it would be Sam. He'd forgotten all about him.

Callen reached his arm out for the phone on the bedside table and hit the button, answering it via speaker.

"Not five or six either Sam," he barked a little harshly. Sam's timing was lousy.

"G," Sam's tone was serious and Callen's stomach knotted in apprehension just at that one little letter. "Eric picked up some chatter," Sam continued, obviously ignoring Callen's comment. "The Russians know where you are. I don't know how, but he distinctly caught your address. Don't know how long but I'm pretty sure they're on their way. You need to get out of there now."

Lucy moaned softly; the sound tinged with both frustration and fear, as she moved off him. Callen grabbed the phone and jumped off the bed.

"We're going."


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N - Sorry for the delay. FF issues and plot bunnies determined to write have been conspiring against me. On a plus though, the rest of this story is now written and just needs final polishing or adjustments depending on reviews. Updates should be a little speedier, fingers crossed anyway._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_Enjoy_

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**Chapter 13**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 5 - Thursday – Day 21_

Callen had planned on meeting Lucy for lunch, not that she knew that. Unfortunately he wasn't able to get away in time, so instead of just skipping seeing her entirely (he had missed her), he made his way to her workplace. At 12.45 he was waiting outside for her to return from lunch. He saw her before she saw him. She was walking up the street, talking on the phone. He started to smile but stopped when he realised she didn't look happy with whatever was being said in the conversation. When she saw him she finished the call quickly. Callen watched her pace quicken and a smile spread across her face.

"Hi," she said. "Miss me huh?"

"Very much," Callen answered. She stepped close to him, not quite close enough for his liking and he reached out and pulled her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her. Her arms slipped around his neck and she returned his kiss.

He pulled back and cleared his throat.

"Missed you too." Lucy stayed put in his arms. "Pity you weren't here earlier, we could have had lunch."

"That had been my plan, meeting went too long." It was close enough to the truth.

"I'm glad to see you anytime," she assured him and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. As much as he wanted to, he didn't take that one further.

"You feeling back to normal yet?" Callen asked. It had been five days since he'd had to leave her in the hospital and the case Hetty had wanted him on had needed his full attention. He had managed to call a couple of times to check on her but not see her. Thankfully she didn't seem to have a problem with that.

"Almost. Appetite is mostly back. Headaches come and go. Tiredness disappeared this morning," she told him.

"So do you think you might be up to going out with me Friday night?" Callen asked. "I've got some tickets to a Lakers game, if you'd like to join me,"

Lucy looked at him with a lift of her eyebrows. "Tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. You have plans already?" he asked, feeling the disappointment start.

"It is late notice you know, but no." Lucy shook her head. "I don't. Just haven't been to a basketball game before."

"Never?"

"Never," she confirmed.

"So are you interested?"

Lucy smiled. "You're going to be there. Of course I am."

"I'll pick you up at 7.00."

"I'll be ready."

Callen heard her alarm go off, smiled and gave her a brief kiss before dropping his arms from around her. She looked slightly disappointed at the brevity of it and he laughed softly.

"Don't want you to be late."

Her eyes narrowed. "I still have a late pass or two."

"Thought you were saving those?"

"I am, but so far you're not giving me an opportunity." She moved closer, "so I'm making my own." She kissed him gently, tempting him but not pushing him. He kissed her back, but made sure it didn't last too long.

"Keep them up your sleeve. One day I promise, you'll use them."

"I'll keep you to that," Lucy replied before she stepped away and walked through the doors, glancing back at him with a smile before they closed.

_Meeting No: _6

_Friday Day 22_

_Lakers game aftermath_

The tickets for the Lakers game were compliments of Sam. It was his wife's birthday so he'd passed them onto Callen. He'd watched Lucy's reactions carefully, whilst enjoying the game and she seemed to enjoy herself. It wasn't until they were back at her place when he asked her about it that the look on her face gave her away. She hadn't enjoyed it as much as he thought.

"Did you enjoy the game?"

Lucy turned to face him after she had put her keys down on the table. She didn't say anything for a moment and Callen was sure she must have been trying to figure out a diplomatic answer.

"Not the game," Lucy finally admitted, "but the company was great."

"You don't like basketball?" Callen asked.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't _not_ like it. I just don't get the whole going crazy at the game or sitting around watching it. Playing it, probably more fun but watching." She shook her head. "Sorry. Only child, no father figure. Blame it on my mother for raising me up to be a girl."

Callen pulled her into his arms. "I have no problem with you being a girl." His words brought a smile to her face and she slid her arms around his neck, her body softening and moulding into his.

"That would be a good thing," Lucy told him, "because I can't change that."

Callen grinned back. "So team sports are out, old movies are in. Would it be safe to say, anything girly and typically romantic would be a success?"

"Safe to say that anything involving you would be a success," Lucy whispered against his lips and kissed him, way too briefly. "Tonight wasn't a failure," she added. "I got to spend it with you."

Callen moved them over to the couch and pulled her down onto his lap.

"So what else did your mother teach you?"

Callen felt her tense at the question and immediately regretted pulling her mother into the conversation. He knew she'd died five years ago, that was about it.

"How to curl my hair, flutter my eyelashes, walk in high heels. Anything involving finding a way to attract a guy's attention."

Callen tilted her head up to him so he could look at her. "Surely there was more than that. She can't have just wanted you to find a guy."

Lucy shrugged again and settled herself in his arms. He felt her take a couple of deep breaths before she answered.

"She wanted me to settle down, stable quiet job, get married, preferably to someone rich who could support her too, have kids. Typical stuff I guess."

"Why would she want you to settle down to support her?"

"She was living off an inheritance from her parents who died before I was born. She liked to travel and didn't want to work. Guess she was just looking for the easy way out. I don't know really. We didn't exactly have heart to hearts."

"Luce," Callen said.

"What?" She raised her head and looked at him.

"You miss her?" he asked.

"Sometimes," she admitted, almost reluctantly, "but mostly, no. We didn't really get on or see eye to eye on a lot of things. Life was a battle most days. I moved out of home once I finished school. I had a friend, Beth actually from the other night. She'd moved away with her parents a year before and I got accepted to a college there, so I went early, got a job for the summer and then worked my way through college. Her parents were happy for me to stay with them for minimal rent and a little help with their younger kids, baby sitting and homework help. I was lucky. I stayed with them for the first couple of years then Beth and I moved out, got a place together. Needed a little less parental supervision I guess. All my mother seemed interested in teaching me was the girly stuff but she never taught me what to look for in a guy, aside from the bank balance of course. Any I brought home, she disapproved of. I couldn't win. I still don't have the faintest idea of what she thought I should be looking for." Lucy let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's been five years. You'd think I'd have let go by now."

"Do you worry that she wouldn't approve of what you do?"

"The only one who needs to approve of what I do, or who I do it with," she said suggestively as she turned around and straddled his lap, "is me. And I definitely approve of you." She kissed him lightly but pulled back before he could deepen it. "Thank you for sharing the basketball with me tonight," she told him, "but perhaps you should stick with taking your friends with you, not me."

"So what would you like me to do with you instead?" Callen asked.

A sparkle in her eyes and a twitch of her eyebrows, Callen knew what she was about to do before she did it. She kissed him – and not lightly this time. Something he most definitely wouldn't be doing with his friends.

The kiss continued and the heat built until he managed to gain some control and pull his mouth from hers. She groaned and dropped her head on his shoulder.

"Luce," he started, his fingers still playing in her hair. "I... should…" He wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say.

"It's Friday G. Do you really have to go?" she asked him when she raised her head to look at him.

"Need to," Callen answered. "You're too tempting."

Lucy ran her fingers gently over his cheek. "That shouldn't be a bad thing, you know," she added softly.

"It's not, just makes it a little hard to turn you down," Callen replied. He caught her fingers and kissed them gently.

"So don't," she pleaded with him but she didn't kiss him, she just waited and let him make the choice without tempting him anymore than she already was.

"Slow, need to do this slow," Callen said softly, hoping she would understand. Things were going really well between them and it was the first time in a very long time where he wanted more than just the physical side of a relationship.

Lucy closed her eyes, took a breath and then opened them again. She moved off his lap onto the couch beside him.

"You're free to go," she said.

Callen stood up and reached for her. He pulled her up into his arms.

"Thank you Luce," he said.

She smiled. "One day G, you'll surprise me and stay. I look forward to that day."

"So do I," he replied and kissed her goodnight, keeping it chaste though he did linger, enjoying to feel of her lips under his, even if it wasn't a deeply passionate kiss. She still felt good against him. Lucy kept her hands behind her back and he smiled when he pulled back at the action.

"Hey," she said. "If you can resist, so can I. But you better go now. Can't promise I'll behave if you hang around her much longer."

"Night Luce," Callen said and dropped a quick kiss on her lips before he walked to the door. He turned around for one last look at her before he left. She was still standing there, hands behind her back watching him.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N - So, on with the adventure. Thanks so much for the great reviews from last chapter.  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O  
_

**Chapter 14**

Callen opened a drawer and grabbed a shirt and a pair of pants. He quickly pulled the pants on.

"My clothes are wet," Lucy said, pulling his attention to her. "Have you got anything I can wear?"

Callen threw her the shirt that was still in his hands and turned away quickly. His body was really hating him right now for having been interrupted. He grabbed another shirt and pulled it on.

"Thanks. Anything else?" she prompted him.

Callen glanced back over at her even as he reached into his drawers for a pair of pants for her. He couldn't resist. "You don't need anything else."

Lucy caught the pants he threw and pulled them on. Callen caught the smile and roll of her eyes as she did. "Socks would be good too," she added. "I'm not getting back in those shoes." She shuddered at the thought of getting back into the wet and muddy shoes. She was fine running barefoot, just wanted a little protection.

"Let's go," Callen added when he'd pulled on his shoes and she'd done the same with socks.

He grabbed her hand and they raced out the door. Callen pulled her in the direction of a nearby car he was already planning on smashing the window and hot-wiring. Anything to get them out of here quickly. They were about five steps from the car when a shower of bullets slammed into it, causing Callen to abruptly change direction dragging Lucy along with him and ran down the path beside the apartment building. He stopped suddenly when they got to the other side and looked at her.

"You ride?" Callen asked with a tilt of his head at the motorcycle sitting there.

"I drive. I don't ride." They heard cars screeching around the corner behind them

"You shoot." Callen handed her his gun and bent down to fiddle with the bike, hoping it would start easily. It did and when he stood up she was staring at him in confusion. He couldn't blame her; things were a bit weird in his head right now too.

Callen grabbed her hand and got on the bike. He pulled her on in front of him facing him. "Put your legs around me," he ordered. She did without question though she still seemed confused.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Lucy mumbled as the implications of the position and the gun finally sunk in. She moved to get a better view over his shoulder as Callen weaved them in and out of the shadows and the streets.

"At least get us some light so I can actually see what I'm trying to shoot," she said in his ear as they heard the screech of tyres and the sound of gunfire whistle past them. Callen went round a corner and this time managed to find a lit street to turn down.

"Thank you," she said before she moved a little so she could get a clearer line of vision to take the shots.

Callen heard the shots near his head as she fired, felt the feedback through her. He also heard the click of the empty chamber.

"Don't suppose you packed spares?" Lucy asked, though there wasn't much hope in her question.

"Nope, left them in my other pants." He was just lucky he'd already prepared the weapon as it was and not decided to do it after the shower.

"Appears I need more practice firing on the move but at least I managed to take out one of their tyres. Hope you can hide us quickly," she commented as she tucked herself into him as best she could to give him more visibility and ease of movement. She moved with him well and Callen had to wonder if she had done this before, at least the riding the bike with someone.

Callen turned them down a narrow alley, weaving in and out of dumpsters and eventually got them onto a decent road, but his gut told him to get off. He turned and kept going, weaving in and out of alleys and streets for another ten minutes.

"Do you even know where we are?" Lucy asked when Callen finally pulled them to a stop toward the end of yet another dark alley.

"Not exactly. Do you?"

"No." The word came out on a sigh.

"Let's hope whoever was after us doesn't know either," Callen said.

Lucy put her head down on his shoulder and her arms slipped back around him. She took a couple of shaky breaths.

When she straightened up she looked at him and said, "You know I know parents are supposed to mess with your love life, but I really didn't think I'd have to deal with it again now."

Callen chuckled. Lucy slapped him on the shoulder playfully. "It's not funny. Between them and everything else, we're never going to get a chance to get any further."

Callen kissed her briefly but soundly.

"I promise we will," he added when he pulled back.

"Promise huh?" she asked softly. There was a huskiness to her voice that brought back memories of earlier.

"Promise," Callen repeated and then tried to think about something else than before.

"I will hold you to that," she said before asking, "Where to next?"

Callen pulled out his phone and dialled. "I'll see if Sam can pick us up."

"Where the hell are you G?" Sam demanded.

"Not sure Sam." They were close to the end of the alley and Callen managed to recognise a shop across from it. "We're downtown, there's a Starbucks just across from the end of the alley. I think I remember going through Broadway. Come find us." Callen ran his fingers down Lucy's arms gently as she rested against him, trying to reassure her they were safe, at least to some degree. Except he came across something warm, wet and sticky about halfway down. Something that felt familiar.

"Hurry Sam, and bring a med kit," Callen said and hung up quickly. "When did you get hit?" he asked her.

"What?" Lucy raised her head. She sounded confused.

"Your arm," Callen told her. He touched her arm, carefully just below the wound and looked around for some light so he could see.

"Ow," she said somewhat belatedly as it finally registered in her mind that something was hurting. "I have no idea."

Callen helped her off the bike and guided them to a doorway closer to the end of the alley. There was a light shining overhead.

"Just a graze," Callen said once he'd checked it over. He grabbed hold of the sleeve of her shirt (his actually) and ripped.

Lucy pulled her eyes away from the bleeding wound on her other arm and looked up at him. "Don't like me in long sleeves?" she teased.

"Like you out of them better. I need to stop the bleeding okay. I'm not attempting to seduce you...yet."

Callen tied it firmly, but not too tight, over the wound. Lucy grimaced and let out a hiss of pain.

"Yeah well that would be a good thing," she told him, her voice heavy with sarcasm, "cause if you were, I'd have to tell you, your technique's all wrong."

Callen's mouth twitched at her teasing. "What? Saving your life not a turn on?"

"Causing me pain tying it up isn't."

"So saving your life is?"

Lucy shook her head. "G," she said in an exasperated tone.

"What?"

"Shut up. " She kissed him ensuring that he did.

Callen's phone beep with a text interrupting them.

'Got ya, on my way. 7?'

Callen shook his head, gave a small chuckle and fired off a simple 'No' to Sam. He returned his focus to Lucy after pocketing his phone.

"What was it?" she asked.

"Nothing important. Sam's on his way"

Lucy frowned. Callen could feel the tension increase in her. The look on her face suggested she thought he was lying and he remembered how she felt about that, and how accurately she'd picked up on it at the particular meeting Sam had just asked about. He thought about what had been going on with Sam and decided to tell her, might at least make her smile.

"Sam is trying to work out when we got _together_," he told her, emphasising the final word.

"Together as in … together or met?"

"Together," Callen confirmed.

"But we haven't…"

"He doesn't know that."

Lucy chuckled. "You're playing with him."

"Yep."

"How do you two work together?"

"Rather effectively apparently," Callen replied as he heard a car pull up.


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N - Thanks for the support on this. It's greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy this next flashback._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o  
_

**Chapter 15**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 7 - Wednesday Day 27_

"G, you get the drinks, I'll get the food," Sam told Callen when they walked through the door of the supermarket. They had a night of cramped car surveillance ahead of them.

Callen shook his head. "Nope, I'll get the food. Want to be able to eat it."

He walked off before Sam had a chance to argue, grabbing a basket as he went. He found some chips, lollies including tootsie pops (sugar was most definitely essential for staying awake), and was heading off to hunt down some good stuff from the bakery section when he almost crashed into someone going around the corner.

"Sorry," Callen apologised quickly as the woman reached out with one hand and grabbed hold of him to stop herself from falling. He helped steady them both and looked down at her. He didn't expect to find himself looking into the blue-green eyes which were haunting his dreams lately.

"Luce," he said in surprise. "Sorry," he repeated.

"G. What are you doing here?" Lucy asked as she dropped her hand from him now she was stable.

"Just getting some food." His mind was trying to work out why she was here and he finally realised that this place was about halfway between her home and her work.

Lucy glanced into his basket and smiled. "Having a party?"

"No," Callen denied, not really thinking about the answer much. It had been five days since the Lakers game when he saw her last.

Lucy smiled shyly at him. It took Callen by surprise. He wasn't used to seeing her tentative around him.

"Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" she asked.

Callen almost said yes. The word was there, right on the tip of his tongue. "I can't," was what he reluctantly said instead. "Not a party, just a guy's night in. I'm sorry," he added.

Lucy shrugged and turned her head away from him. "I won't keep you then." She started to move away but Callen reached out to stop her.

"Luce?" He sensed something was wrong.

"Don't," she said as she tried to pull away from his touch. He held firm.

"What's wrong?" Callen tried not to make it a demand, but he certainly wasn't going to let her walk away from him without finding out what had caused the sudden change in her.

Lucy finally looked back at him. "Look, G. If you're not interested just tell me okay. I can handle it."

Callen heard the pain in her voice, similar to what had been there that very first night when she had thought the same thing. "Why would you think that?" he asked.

"You're lying to me," Lucy told him bluntly.

Callen frowned. How had she figured that out?

"No I'm not," he denied, a lie in itself. He followed it up with a truth to hopefully hide the lie. She seemed rather perceptive and he desperately hoped she would believe his next words. "I _am_ interested."

Lucy looked at him for a moment and Callen had a feeling she was analysing every movement he made; every twitch of muscle, of lips and eyes.

"It's complicated," he added. "I can't get out of tonight. But I promise I will call you soon." At least that was the truth.

Lucy caught her lip between her teeth whilst she continued to study him. A nervous habit perhaps, but it caused a reaction in his body that he was sure she wasn't meaning to. She couldn't help it if his mind went wandering about how it would feel to do that to her and what would follow.

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good with people lying to me," she said softly. "I get a bit edgy."

Thankfully the pain was gone from her voice and Callen saw her relax a little. He stepped closer.

"Not lying," he said as he reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "I want to see you again. Very soon." Callen kept it to the complete truth this time.

"Good," Lucy replied softly. "Cause I really want to see you again too."

"I do believe I owe you a quiet, non-rescuing dinner," Callen added. The basketball game didn't count. Hotdogs in a stadium wasn't his idea of a quiet dinner date.

Lucy stepped closer to him. "You do."

She was so close. Callen was about to move in and kiss her when he heard Sam call his name from somewhere a couple of aisles away. He hoped she hadn't heard it. He pulled back reluctantly.

"I have to go," he said.

She looked as disappointed as he felt. "Have fun," she said.

Callen rolled his eyes slightly. "It will be interesting at least. Fun maybe not. Bye." He stepped away from her, watched her smile at him one last time before he turned and hurried in the direction of Sam's voice, before Sam came to find him and by default, Lucy.

~~o~~

They'd been sitting in the car for four hours, it was almost midnight. Callen's mind kept drifting to her.

He pulled out his phone and dialled her number, even though Sam was sitting right there and would hear everything. His partner would most likely bombard him with curious questions the moment he hung up. But it was a risk Callen was willing to take. He needed to do this, and he wanted to do this now.

"Who you calling, G?" Sam asked.

"Shh!" Callen hissed at Sam.

"Hello?" came her very sleepy voice that made a part of him feeling guilty for waking her, whilst another part wished there wasn't a phone between them.

"Hey."

"G? Is anything wrong?" Lucy asked, starting to sound more awake. That hadn't quite been Callen's plan. He hadn't meant to worry her.

"Nothing's wrong. I promised I'd call. Decided I wanted to keep that promise today."

She chuckled quietly. "So you call at … 11.58pm just to …?"

"Make sure you know I'm interested."

"So you're not outside my door this time?" she asked.

Callen heard the hope in her voice. "Unfortunately, no."

"Pity," she replied softly.

Callen had to agree with that comment.

"What are you doing on the weekend?". He had an idea and he was going to run with it, without dissecting the possibilities or the implications.

"Depends," she replied vaguely.

"On?" Callen prompted.

"Whether someone comes up with a better offer than cleaning my apartment, washing and ironing."

Callen smiled. He was pretty sure he could top that. "Would a weekend in the mountains be a better offer?"

Sam eyed him off. There was definite curiosity in his look but Sam didn't say anything. Callen did wonder how long he could spin the phone call for because he knew that the moment he hung up the questions would flow.

"Depends on who it's with and what we're doing," Lucy told him, a very cheeky tone coming into her still sleepy voice.

"Me and who knows. We'll see when we get there. You'll even have a room of your own," Callen added. He didn't want to pressure her into anything, though she wasn't the reluctant party. He still wasn't quite sure if he was ready for that next step.

"What if I don't want a room of my own?" she asked quietly. Callen could almost see her catch her bottom lip with her teeth at the slight nervousness that her tone hinted at.

He didn't quite know how to respond with Sam sitting right next to him.

"Okay, room of my own. Don't want to scare you off," Lucy said, giving him a way out. "It sounds wonderful, G. I'd love to."

"Worth me waking you up this late for?" Callen asked.

"I'll let you know Sunday night. Goodnight G."

"Night." Callen narrowly refrained from saying her name. He wanted to keep some secrets from Sam.

Reluctantly he pressed the button that would disconnect the call, turned to Sam and waited for the questions to begin. Sam opened his mouth, as predicted, but a car pulling up outside the house they were surveilling caught their attention. By the time the night was over including car chases, shootings, arrests and recovery, Sam had forgotten about the phone call and dropped him home, no questions asked.


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N - Happy Easter. Thanks for the support on this story. A little more Deeks in this and we find out a few things!  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1 _

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O  
_

**Chapter 16**

"G!"

Callen groaned. Something wasn't right. Ignoring the voice in his head, he tried to remember where he was and what had just happened.

"G!" Sam almost shouted and Callen felt Sam's hand on his shoulder shake him.

Callen opened his eyes and looked at his partner. "I'm here," he answered groggily.

"What happened?" Sam held his hand out to him and Callen took it. Sam dragged him to his feet and held him up, which was a good thing since the world was spinning and his head was throbbing.

Luce. He looked around.

"Where's Luce?" Callen asked Sam.

Sam looked concerned. "Was hoping you could tell me that. I got here to find you on the ground and her gone."

Callen swore and desperately tried to remember. His hand went to his head and felt the back of it. He felt the stickiness of blood and a lump there. He'd definitely been hit hard.

Car. That's right. They'd heard a car pull up and he'd assumed it was Sam. He'd stepped out of the doorway, keeping Lucy behind him just in case and then they were surrounded. He'd heard the definite sound of guns being readied and froze.

"_Give us the girl. We don't want you," _he remembered one of them saying.

"Italian," Callen said as he remembered the heavy accent to the voice. "Marino's men must have taken her."

"What did you do?" Sam asked.

"Nothing. Didn't have a choice. They told me to give her to them, that they didn't want me, but before I could say anything, one of them was right next to us and everything went black."

Sam steered Callen into the passenger's seat and hurried back to get behind the wheel.

"You didn't see him coming up on you?" Sam asked.

Callen shook his head and winced. "Came up on the blind side, no light. Slipped in with the shadows."

Sam called Eric and quickly filled him in, giving him a heads up and a chance to try and track down what had happened before they arrived back at the office.

"Sam."

"Yeah G?"

"Thanks for coming to get us."

"Sorry I didn't get here quicker."

The rest of the trip was in silence. Sam concentrated on getting them back to OSP fast whilst Callen tried to figure out what had happened and see if he could remember anything else that might give them a clue.

They sat in the OPS centre, with Hetty cleaning up the back of Callen's head, and went over everything Eric had pulled from the scene.

A black SUV with five men had pulled into the alley. They couldn't get anything off their faces or the vehicle, which had no plates. Six left the scene. They definitely had Lucy with them and from the looks of the footage she hadn't fared a whole lot better than Callen, at least in terms of consciousness. Eric had tried to track the vehicle but they had gone out of the area where there were cameras and they'd lost them.

"How did they find us Eric?" Callen asked.

"Umm, that was my fault," Eric admitted rather nervously.

"Nonsense Eric. You weren't to know." Hetty stepped in front of Callen and focused on him. "The backdoor we slipped onto Marino's computer system that we thought had been closed, wasn't completely sealed. It appears that Marino slipped his own back door in through it. Nothing dramatic like stealing files, but from what we can tell he has been listening into our phone conversations."

"Which is how he found us at the motel and in the alley," Callen concluded.

"I'm sorry Callen," Eric apologised. "I-"

"It's okay Eric. Not your fault. This guy was determined to get her. But how were the Russians finding us?"

"That we have no idea," Eric admitted. "I'm still listening in to see if I can pick anything else up from the chatter but so far nothing. It seems to have gone silent."

"So what do we do?" Deeks asked, sounding impatient. "We need to find her and quick. Marino's not going to play around. He's already proven that."

Callen could clearly see the concern in Deeks' eyes for Lucy and it helped him understand why she liked the guy.

"I might have something," Eric piped up. "I've been running a search on Marino's properties around LA. Figuring he's not going to take her too far out of the way if he just wants to get it over with." Eric glanced at Callen with an apologetic smile for what he'd just said.

"So what do you have?" Callen encouraged the young tech. He could still see the guilt in his eyes.

"There's half a dozen properties within a half hour radius of downtown. Three of them are in well-populated areas, one is a shop. But these two small warehouses," Eric taped his keyboard and brought up pictures of the buildings and a map showing where they are, "are in relatively deserted areas, at least on the weekends, giving a certain degree of … privacy I guess you could say."

"They're a fair distance apart," Sam noted.

"So we either split up or we focus on one."

"Which one people? The clock is ticking," Hetty ordered.

Hetty was right. This wasn't a kidnapping/ransom demand situation. They didn't have a set period of time to figure it out. This was pure and simple abduction with intent to kill.

Callen and Deeks moved closer and studied the map for a moment.

"Here," they said in unison, pointing to the same location.

Callen looked at Deeks for a moment before he turned to the others. "Deeks and I will take this one. Sam, Kensi, you take the other. Send the support teams as soon as you can Hetty, but we're going now. "

Sam lifted an eyebrow at the change of partners but didn't question him on it, for which he was grateful. Callen knew it had been his instincts that had guided him, he was guessing it was the same with Deeks. Considering the connection Deeks had with Lucy, he wasn't going to force him to go against his instincts, just like he wouldn't want to.

"Mr Deeks, you drive," Hetty ordered as they left the room and hurried to the cars.

As they were getting in the car, Sam called out to Deeks.

"Deeks, you'd better have his back or you'll be watching your own for a very long time," Sam warned.

Deeks eyes widened just a touch at the seriousness behind Sam's warning. Pulling his focus back to finding Lucy he got in the car and floored it out of the car park.

"You know she loves you right?" Deeks asked Callen, taking him by surprise at the direction of the conversation.

"What?"

"Mika. Lucy whatever she is to you. She loves you. Even if she hasn't had the guts to say the words yet."

It was true that she hadn't said it. Callen knew though that what was between them was more than just dating, though he'd never sat down long enough to think about a particular word to describe it either.

"Why do you think that?" he asked Deeks.

"She wouldn't be with you if she didn't," Deeks replied simply.

Callen knew that Deeks knew Lucy pretty well and took the opportunity to find out what he did know.

"What do you know that I don't, Deeks?" he asked.

They had a fifteen minute car trip, hopefully less, but he might as well get something useful out of it.

"If Mika's _with_ you, it's because she cares about you. She doesn't do it with just anybody."

He really wasn't in the mood to have a sex talk with Deeks.

"Deeks, it's not like that. We haven't..."

Deeks chuckled and Callen stopped. "I know. But she wants to, right? And so do you?"

"You know what, maybe we shouldn't-"

"Callen," Deeks interrupted yet again. "I'm not being rude or vulgar. It's just fact."

"That you know how?" How much had Lucy told Deeks about their relationship?

"Because she's my friend and I'm hers," Deeks explained. "Because we talk and because she told me about you, though she didn't tell me your name. She rarely does when she talks about people she knows with me. Not sure why, maybe she doesn't like me after all," he joked before continuing seriously. "And quite frankly it's easy to see that it's more than that with you. Even without her telling me I can see that she loves you."

Deeks was quiet for a moment, letting that information sink in.

"Anyway," he continued. "She called me one Saturday. Told me about this guy she took home, who didn't stay. He'd seemed interested but he'd backed off at the last minute. She wasn't sure what had happened or if she'd done something wrong. Been too forward or something. I told her to wait and see. If he came back, see what happened then. If he didn't, then he wasn't worth her time anyway. Cause really, anyone who has a real chance with her would have to be stupid not to follow up."

That she had still been worried that he wouldn't come back bothered Callen a little. But he had to give Deeks credit for being there for her.

"Then when he did come back," Deeks said, "she wanted advice on telling him the truth. She felt something for you and she'd never faced this dilemma with a long term undercover op before. I told her she couldn't blow her cover but she could keep everything else as close to the truth as possible. She didn't really have a choice, this mission was too important to risk and she'd have to trust that he was man enough to handle it when she did tell him, once it was over."

"Did you see her at all whilst she was on the op?" Callen asked.

"No," Deeks told him. "It was easier for her if she got to focus, but you really made an impression on her otherwise she wouldn't have called me. Guess I should thank you for that. I like talking to that girl." Deeks shot him a cheeky grin but continued before Callen could make a comment. "She also asked what it meant when a guy said he wanted to take it slow."

"What did you tell her about that?" He'd had a hard enough time figuring out how to explain it to himself let alone her.

"That she had two choices. Believe him that he was interested and wanted her but needed to take things slowly and if that was the case she was a hell of a lucky woman. Or not believe him and think that he was leading her on with no intention of anything happening. Now if she thought that was the case then she should dump him and go out with me instead."

Callen chuckled at that final part, knowing full well what Lucy's reaction would have been to that suggestion. He was sure Deeks was lucky that he was saying it over the phone rather than in person to her.

"She was the one that night wasn't she?" Deeks asked. "The friend you took to the hospital, who'd been drugged?"

Deeks was rather perceptive.

"Yes she was," Callen admitted.

"Did she tell you that's happened before?"

Callen turned and focused more intently on Deeks.

"No." But that would explain why she knew what the symptoms were.

"Yep," Deeks nodded. "She was in college, her final year. Big rebellious streak against her mother's ideals for her. She still studied and passed. She's smart, it wasn't hard for her, but she partied, got drunk, if she liked a guy, she enjoyed it, no strings."

Callen noticed the white knuckles on Deeks' hands that were gripping the steering wheel. He remembered the determination and the speed which Deeks had responded to the situation and wondered if it was more than just the job that had caused Deeks' quick response that night.

Deeks continued. "Until one morning she woke up feeling really sick, in some guy's bed she didn't know and she didn't remember anything about the night before. She freaked out, went home and tried to remember, but she couldn't. She heard the next day that a lot of the girls had similar experiences. Some had gone to the hospital and drugs were suspected, but even though the frat house the party had been at was searched, no one found anything. It took her a long time to settle down and enjoy going out. If she was with a guy after that it was because she cared, she couldn't go back to just doing it for fun. There had to be more for her. She doesn't let a guy buy her a drink anymore either. She buys her own, by the bottle and pours them herself."

"The tequila," Callen said. "The first night I met her she was drinking tequila. She had a bottle of it. I thought she was just planning on getting very drunk."

_The bottles. They brought out bottles not glasses. _That comment from the Hen's night and her confusion now made sense. It had crossed his mind that it seemed odd at the time but he'd focused on getting her out of there rather than what she said.

"Nope." Deeks shook his head. "Buys an un-opened bottle, even if she only plans on having one glass, that way she knows there is nothing in it."

"But she gave it back to the bartender that night."

"She'll never ask for it again. It always has to be un-opened."

"She obviously trusts you to have told you all of this."

"I pestered her enough," Deeks joked. "I wanted to buy her a celebratory drink after an incident. She refused and I tried to be my usual charming self. At least until I realised she was serious. So I asked her why. She told me the story and I promised never to buy her a drink. She knows I won't hurt her; that I'll be there for her. I didn't want her to worry about that. I care about her, Callen. She's like family to me. Even though I've only known her for a year."

"Even though she hacked into your hair?"

"At least you won't have to worry about that. Yours isn't long enough to even be touched by a pair of scissors."

Callen thought over what Deeks had just told him. So many thinks about Lucy made sense now. He even made the connection about her name from the Hen's night. He'd thought her friend was just being funny when she'd waved her hand in front of her face, suggesting that he was hot, and said 'Oh My' – My was short for Mika. He also remembered something else.

"She let me buy her a drink. We went away for the weekend. Had dinner out and she let me get the drinks. They weren't bottles."

Deeks looked at him, almost too long for comfort considering Deeks was driving.

"She really does trust you Callen. There is no way she would have let you do that if she didn't."

He knew that. He still remembered the feeling that morning in the hospital when she'd said those three little words that had made him feel so good.

"We're here," Deeks said as he brought the car to a stop.

"Let's hope our instincts are right." Callen checked his weapon and made sure it was fully loaded and that his spares were easy to get to.

"It'd say they are," Deeks replied, pointing to the black SUV and another dark coloured vehicle further down the street. "I'd be willing to be that's Marino's car, and the suits and SUV are the ones from the alley."

"Which means there are probably at least three or more inside as well." Given that there were five caught on camera in the alley.

Callen pulled out his phone and called Sam whilst Deeks reached into the back seat for a couple of bullet proof vests.

"Anything?"

"Nothing G," Sam replied. "We're on our way to you. Hetty's routed both support teams to you. Max ten minutes before someone else joins you. We'll be about twenty… Or less. Kensi's driving."

Normally Callen would have laughed at that but there was this feeling in the pit of his stomach that Lucy didn't have that long.

"Can't wait that long Sam. Get here when you can."

"I know I can't change your mind but be careful G. Think about number eight before you go in."

This time Callen couldn't help the slight chuckle.

"Not eight either Sam."

Callen hung up. Deeks looked at him inquisitively. Callen just shook his head. He knew what Sam had been doing. It wasn't light-hearted or inappropriate, though to the outsider it would seem that way. Sam could obviously sense Callen was about ready to rip anyone to shreds who hurt Lucy and Sam knew he needed something to get his head cleared a little. Something to make him be a little more careful, calm him down just a touch.

Deeks looked at him. "Shall we do this now or later?"

Callen knew by the tone Deeks had used for those two choices which he would prefer. And they were on the same page.

"Now," Callen agreed. "Before it's too late."


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N - Thanks for the reviews and alerts etc. Very much appreciated. Hope you enjoy this flashback._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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**Chapter 17**

_Flashback - Meeting No. 8 – Fri, Sat & Sun – Days 29, 30 & 31_

Callen picked Lucy up from her apartment just after six on Friday night. The drive to the B&B he'd booked them into was quiet, mainly because Lucy fell asleep about ten minutes into the drive.

Callen knew it wasn't an insult to the company. She'd been finishing off a big project for work and hadn't actually gotten home until after eleven the last three nights. He woke her gently when they arrived and, after they got settled into their respective rooms, they went out to small local Italian restaurant for dinner.

The nice, quiet, non-rescuing dinner that he had promised her.

Callen walked her back to her door and kissed her goodnight. She'd asked him why the separate rooms at dinner. He'd told her something close to the truth, keeping in mind how she'd picked up he was lying to her the other day in the supermarket. He told her that he'd messed up relationships before and he didn't want to do that this time. This time he was going to take it slow. It was true in that he hadn't really taken any time to cultivate a relationship in a long time.

She didn't protest too much when he'd pulled back from the goodnight kiss. Just with her eyes; eyes that were so powerful that she could almost talk with them. Callen knew she wanted him to stay with her. He just hoped that she knew he wanted that too. Just not quite as much as he wanted to make sure he did this right. He laid in his bed that night trying to figure out what it was about her that made him want to take this slow.

The closest Callen could come up with was that something was different. Sure he wanted her physically but he also wanted her to know the truth. He wanted her to know him, not some alias. And he wanted to know her. He'd never worried about the truth that much before in a relationship, at least not from the beginning, like he had with her. Usually he didn't care to start with. Sometimes he was tempted. But this time, it was more than just tempted. He hated lying to her. Eventually he drifted off to sleep; thoughts of her, her eyes and the rest of her, filling his dreams.

Callen woke early with the sun coming through the curtains he'd forgotten to close. He stood up to close them and saw a beautiful view outside in the early morning light. The gardens and mountains, the scattered buildings, the blue sky that was slowly turning a deeper blue, even as he watched.

He picked up the phone and dialled her extension.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Morning," Callen replied, a slow smile spreading across his face at the sleepy sound to her voice.

"You've got to promise me something, G."

"What?"

"Next time you wake me up in the middle of the night, or early morning, it's not through the phone," she said mischievously.

"Beeping the car horn?" he suggested.

"No," Lucy said firmly. "From the pillow next to me," she told him.

"Not yours?"

"I'd be happy with that too. So why are you waking me up so early?"

Callen turned his focus back to the view outside. "Have you looked out your window?"

"No," she said. "In case you hadn't figured it out yet, I'm still curled up in bed."

"It's a beautiful view," Callen told her.

"Which one?"

Her words distracted Callen momentarily from what was before his eyes and gave him a new picture to consider in his mind. "I'm sure both, but at this point, I can only see the one outside," he replied.

"That's... Sorry."

Callen was pretty sure she knew where she was tempted to go with her comment.

"Do you want to come and check it out?" he asked.

There was silence for a moment. "G, are you asking me to come to your room?"

"Yes, to see the view." Callen heard her soft chuckle. "Out the window," he added with a smile.

"I'll be there in a minute," she agreed and hung up.

A minute later there was a knock on his door. Callen opened it and there she was, looking sleepy and still in her pyjamas. Short, soft blue shorts that left most of her legs free to his gaze and a matching singlet top. She smiled and he reached for her hand and pulled her in, closing the door behind her. Callen guided her over to the window.

The sky was a deeper blue but the rest was still the same.

"It is beautiful," she agreed.

Callen slipped his arms around her waist and she leant back against him. They stood there like that for a few minutes, before she turned in his arms and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning."

"What do you have planned for today?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"There's a couple of hiking paths around, if you're interested." Callen wasn't quite sure what she liked. He had a few other ideas if she didn't enjoy hiking.

"Sounds good. Haven't had a chance to do any hiking lately."

"You like hiking?" Callen ran his hands lightly over her back, the soft material moving slightly over her as well.

"Yeah, usually go once a month somewhere, just haven't gotten around to it since starting this new job," Lucy replied.

She turned her head into his neck and placed some light kisses there. Callen closed his eyes and let himself enjoy her touch. She moved up his neck, along his chin and up to his mouth. Her fingers followed a similar pattern to his, only there was no shirt on his back to act as a barrier to her touch. Eventually he had to pull back.

"Sorry," she apologised sheepishly, as she stepped back and put her hands behind her back. "I should go get dressed."

"Luce," Callen called as she started to walk away. She turned back to him. "You know I'm interested right?" He needed to make sure she understood. He didn't want her to doubt him again.

Lucy smiled softly. "I know. I'll see you for breakfast." She turned and left.

They'd hiked, more than he'd planned. Lucy was obviously fit and after the first one, she'd begged Callen to go on another one after they had some lunch. She'd missed getting outside. She hated being stuck in an office all day. So Callen had agreed and they found another trail that was small enough not to be too demanding considering what they had already done that day.

Dinner was at a small local pub that served great steaks and hearty warm foods that were brilliant for replacing the energy they had used on the hikes. She'd even shared her caramel cream pie with him.

She'd invited him into her room when they got back from dinner.

"Just for a little while," she'd promised and Callen agreed. He wasn't ready for the night to end yet.

Closing the door behind them Callen turned around and pulled her close. Dinner had been long and slow and he really wanted to kiss her again. Apparently so did she, if her response was anything to go by. He was just about to pull back, things having gotten heated rather quickly, when she did.

Lucy groaned and rested her head on his shoulder. Shaking it slowly, she said softly, "We can't."

That one was usually his line, or at least some version of it.

"I should go," Callen said as he dropped a kiss on her head.

Lucy looked up at him. "Stay," she whispered.

Callen frowned. He really wasn't following. 'We can't' followed by 'Stay'. He had a feeling he was missing something vitally important that she had inside her head.

"I want you to stay," she told him. "We just can't do anything. Wrong time." A slight blush appeared on her cheeks as she waited for his response.

"Wrong time?" Callen repeated, still confused.

Lucy gave him a small smile. "You did human biology in school right. Wrong time..."

"Wrong time," he repeated, understanding dawning on him.

"I'm sorry," she said as she let go of him and stepped back.

She wanted him to stay, even though they couldn't do what they both wanted. Callen smiled and pulled her back into his arms. "But I can still kiss you?"

"Yes," Lucy agreed. "More if you want, just not everything." She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought herself even closer. Callen scooped her up in his arms, moving slowly to the bed, giving her a chance to understand that he was thinking things might very well go a little further than a kiss. It was also a chance for her to say no. She didn't take him up on it. He lowered her down to the bed and she smiled, inviting him to join her. He didn't say no.

Callen pulled her to him, so she was lying partially on top and slid his hands into her hair before he gently tugged her closer and kissed her. Her fingers drifted over his chest and at some point, though he couldn't tell you when, she undid the buttons on his shirt. Probably somewhere around the same time he removed hers. She pulled back from kissing him and moved lower to plant a series of light, tempting kisses over his chest. He closed his eyes and let her. Perhaps safe in the knowledge that this wouldn't go too far which gave them a certain amount of freedom to let it get a little more heated than normal. It was only when she stopped suddenly that Callen opened his eyes.

Lucy's eyes were wide as she looked him in the eye, before she glanced down at his chest and back to his eyes again. "What happened?" she whispered as her fingers ghosted over his scars.

Callen froze and his mind went into overdrive on what to tell her. The truth would scare her, and most likely hint that he wasn't simply in construction, but she'd know if he lied.

"Did you get shot?" she asked him. There was such concern and fear in her voice and he couldn't lie. Not about this, at least not fully.

"Yeah," Callen admitted.

"When?" she asked just before she dropped a kiss on the first scar.

"A couple of years ago," he said. The time frame was a little out, but close enough. It would be two years at the next anniversary.

Callen felt her shudder and he tightened his arms around her, pulling her close. He was still trying to figure out what to tell her when she shifted in his arms, moved up and kissed him. There was a desperation to her kiss. He followed her returned it and didn't ask where the desperation had come from. When she didn't ask any more questions he felt relief. At least he hadn't had to lie this time.

~o~

The next morning Callen watched her sleep; her hair messed and spread over the pillow, the softness of her features and the slight smile to her lips. He'd stayed, after a minor trip back to his room. Nothing more had been said about his scars, and he hadn't asked about a couple of concerning ones he'd found on her body; not wanting to remind her of what she didn't know about him. She'd curled up against him and fallen asleep easily once he had returned to her room.

Callen heard the rain start to fall onto the roof and listened to the soft, steady beat it created. He reached out and stroked the hair off her face, similar to what he had done the night she was sick. Lucy's head turned toward him and her eyes fluttered open.

"Much better wake up than a phone call," she said in that sleepy tone that he had wanted to hear in person often. It warmed his heart, an odd unfamiliar sensation but it felt really good. He wanted to wake up to her being next to him again, to her voice, her smile. Oh, he had it bad and Sam would feel like it was Christmas if he knew just how bad.

Callen smiled at her. She moved closer and kissed him gently. "Thank you for staying," she added softly.

"My pleasure."

Lucy snuggled back down in his arms. "How long until breakfast?" she asked him.

Callen glanced at the clock. "It's just before seven. They serve until ten. We don't have to be out of the rooms til one. Late checkout." He hadn't been sure whether they would be out hiking again today, so he'd made the late checkout request.

"Sleep well G," she added and snuggled closer.

"You going back to sleep?"

"I'm getting my chance to sleep in with you. Hard to resist," she told him.

"Sleeping or me?" Callen teased gently.

Lucy lifted her head to look at him. "Today, sleeping. Next time, the answer will probably be you."

Callen slipped his hand to the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. She had her eyes closed when he pulled back. "Okay, I lied. You."

They did end up going back to sleep, only just managing to wake in time to get down for the last fifteen minutes of breakfast. The rain had stopped by then and they took a walk around the extensive gardens of the B&B before they packed and left. They found a place on the way back to the city for a late lunch before Callen took her home.

The rain was back when they arrived at her apartment and Callen had already received a call from Sam, needing him in at work. So much for the weekend off. Though he was at least pleased that the call hadn't come in the day before. Lucy told him not to come in, kissed him goodbye in the car, grabbed her bag and ran quickly inside.


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N - And now we hit the drama. Back to the present and this time it's more Lucy's pov which we haven't really seen yet._

_Thanks for the great support in this. Not too many more chapters to go, almost finished.  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1  
_

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**Chapter 18**

Lucy woke slowly. Her head hurt and she knew she was lying on a cold, hard concrete floor. The details on how she got there were a little vague. She also wasn't sure how long she'd been there, but it would have been a while since she had a severe case of pins and needles in her arm from where she'd been lying on it.

Arm? Gunshot. She'd been shot. G had ripped her sleeve and patched her up.

G!

Her eyes flew open but she couldn't see anything. It was too dark. Where was he? Was he here with her? A major part of her hoped not, but there was a small part of her that desperately wanted him to be here. At least with him she stood a chance.

Then she remembered. There was a group of men. They all had guns. They wanted her. She remembered frantically looking around to see if there was any chance of getting away. She'd looked behind at the door and by the time she turned back to remind G what was behind them he was already lying on the ground. Even in the dim light she could see the cut on the back of his head. Before she could do anything, someone had a strong arm around her neck and something over her nose and face and she'd lost consciousness quickly.

Lucy lay there quietly, trying to listen for sounds to give her some idea where she was or if she was alone. She couldn't hear anything and she didn't know if that was good or bad. She moved each of her limbs slowly, testing out whether or not she'd been injured. Her eyes started to adjust and nothing hurt more than her head. So far, so good. She might actually stand a chance of getting out of here after all.

Then she heard a door slam and a single bright, bare bulb flicked on above her. Instinctively she closed her eyes against the harshness of it. Before she had a chance to open them a little and let her eyes adjust, a hard booted foot landed in her stomach knocking the wind out of her. She moaned and her arms went protectively over her stomach as she rolled away, but then the foot connected with her ribs and she thought she heard something crack though she couldn't be sure. It hurt enough to make her wonder if it was a rib.

"What do you want?" she gasped out whilst still trying to scramble away, doing her best to ignore the pain. Cracked at best, broken most likely.

A hand grabbed her by the hair and painfully yanked her up off the ground and back against a hard body.

"What do I want?" hissed a voice in her ear.

A familiar voice. She froze. Antonio Marino.

"I want a daughter who isn't a traitor. I want a daughter who is proud of her father. Are going to be that for me?"

"I'm not your daughter," she spat out at him.

"That's not what the test told me. You have no idea who much I wish you weren't." He spun her around, still holding her head tightly by the hair. He yanked her head back so he could look at her face. "You might have your mother's hair and face, but your eyes have a unique Marino trait. You are my daughter."

"No," Lucy denied again. Perhaps that was the wrong move since he then threw her hard against the wall. Her shoulder took the brunt of it which saved her head from being too badly hurt, but she landed awkwardly and her knee crashed into the floor taking all of her weight as she collapsed down. She barely had time to take a painful breath before Marino dragged her back up to face him. She wouldn't let him see her fear so she looked him straight in the eye and her breath stopped briefly in her chest. This time the light lit up his face and she could see clearly. He was right. She did have his eyes. The blue and green that wasn't mixed but distinctly separate. How had she not noticed when she'd been with him in the office? Right, she'd avoided looking at him because nobody looked at Mr Marino closely unless they wanted to be fired.

"Now Mikeyla," Marino started.

"It's Lucy," she protested.

"Lucy. No. That was just your cover ID. You have one chance Mikeyla. Apologise, promise to work by my side and let me know who is targeting me and when, and you will live."

"No."

His fist landed in her stomach and she doubled over in pain. Marino grabbed her shoulders and brought his knee up against her jaw, keeping hold of her so she didn't fall. He then pulled her back up again so he could see her face.

"Is no your final answer?" he asked menacingly.

Lucy looked him in those familiar eyes again. No, she wouldn't beg, she wouldn't give in to him. That wasn't who she was. Loyalty and trust were important to her, to those she cared about and those she worked for. She shook her head and repeated her answer.

"I will not betray them so let me rephrase. Like Hell No."

This time it was a hard backhand to her already painful jaw and she couldn't hold herself up. She collapsed to the floor.

"Very well. Remember, you had a choice. At least this time I know the job will get done by doing it myself."

Lucy heard the cocking of the gun and took a steadying, yet painful breath before looking up at him. Physically she knew she didn't stand a chance against him. He was too strong and she was hurt and injured badly, but if he was going to kill her then she would make damn sure he knew who she was. He would see his eyes staring back at him. Now she was glad G wasn't here. She wouldn't have wanted him to see this. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again. She loved him. She'd known for a while things were different with him and she'd worked out why. She just hadn't had the courage to tell him. That was the only regret she had. She'd never told him.

Lucy heard the shot echo around the room, sounding more like three or four, but she didn't feel anything. It took a moment to register in her dull pain-filled mind that Antonio Marino was lying on the floor in front of her with a bullet in his head. She started to shake but managed to look around.

"Luce!"

"Mika!"

She almost sobbed in relief. Those two voices had never been more welcome and she'd never complain about the way Deeks said her name again. The shaking got worse and the tears started to fall and she didn't even try and get up.

"G." It was all she could get out as she saw him walking toward her, gun still raised and focused on Marino. She didn't know where Deeks was yet, but she knew he was there.

Callen kicked the gun out of Marino's hand and carefully check for a pulse, not that he expected to find one but it was better to be sure. He was right; there was none. He holstered his weapon, secure in the knowledge that Deeks would have their backs, and turned his attention to Lucy. He heard Deeks' footsteps coming quickly towards them.

"Luce," he said softly. She looked up at him and he took a step closer. She looked so scared and hurt.

"Step away from her Agent Callen," a female voice came from above them.

Callen froze. So did Deeks. They turned to look in the direction of the voice which was coming from above.

"Mum?" Callen heard Lucy's distressed whisper and almost groaned at the word. If there was ever a time when he was glad he didn't have parents to deal with, now was it. They just couldn't get a break from hers.

Lucy tried to stand up as she looked at her mother, but there was more than one and the movement made her head spin even more. She felt Deeks' hand on her arm and he helped her stand up and keep her up.

"Mum?" she repeated in disbelief. Part of her still couldn't believe that she was still alive. But then she was having trouble anyway believing that her psychotic parents had been trying to kill both her and Callen. She was going to have a very serious talk to Eric about those names. Very, very bad idea.

"Hello Mikeyla."

Lucy looked around a little. If she was right there were at least four others with her mother.

Callen stayed still. He knew the reputation of Sofya Davidenko. When she wanted someone gone, she got it and she didn't care who else she had to take down to get it. The only reason he'd walked away in Russia was because he had more men at the time and she'd ended up on her own and had fled to safety.

"You're supposed to be dead," Lucy said, trying to make sense of her world gone mad.

"Yes and Agent Callen was the one to try and do it."

Lucy shook her head. "No. I was told there was a car accident. You and Jonah died in a car crash whilst driving around Russia." Lucy vaguely wondered what had happened to Jonah, her mother's on-again and off-again boyfriend over the years. Though with everything she knew now, she'd take a wild guess he wasn't actually a boyfriend.

"Yes." There was no regret in Sofya's tone.

"Why did you lie?" Lucy asked as she struggled to stay up, the pain shooting through her knee as she tried to move.

Callen wanted to go to her, help her, but he couldn't risk it.

"Why do you lie? Because it was for the best," Sofya stated simply.

"You let me think you were dead. How was that for the best?"

Lucy might not have gotten on with her mother, but she was her mother and she did love her, at least at little. She knew it could have been worse. They didn't have the best relationship but her mother had never hurt her. At least up until now she had believed she hadn't.

"Not like we had a great relationship Mikeyla."

The name grated on her nerves. Especially since it was what Marino had been calling her right before he was about to kill her.

"It's Lucy or Mika," she tried to say firmly but her voice didn't come out very strong. "I was never Mikeyla to anyone but you. You know I hate it." She didn't exactly hate it, it was just that it reminded her of her mother and she had preferred the shortened, less formal option of Mika.

Sofya shrugged. "It's your name. Now Agent Callen, step further away from her please. I would hate for a stray shot to cause my daughter any more pain today."

Lucy took a step closer to Callen before he could move, clenching her teeth against the pain it caused in her knee.

"Mikeyla, stay away from him," Sofya warned.

"No." Lucy stumbled but again Deeks was there before she could fall and held her up. She heard Callen whisper "Luce," and took strength from that little word. The name she loved to hear from his lips. Her arms were wrapped around Deeks as she struggled for stability and strength. Once she managed to find that she grabbed his gun from the holster at his back and turned around to aim it at her mother. At least she hoped she picked the right one.

"Mika!" Deeks exclaimed.

"Don't," she ordered Deeks. She clenched her teeth against the pain and locked her knees as best she could to hold her up.

"Mikeyla, put the gun down. You're not going to shoot me. Look around." Sofya indicated with one of her hands around the room and Lucy heard the clicks of guns getting ready to be fired. More than four. "There are too many, you won't get the shot off," her mother added.

"Maybe not today," Lucy said, managing to put some force behind her words this time. "But I will eventually. I will not let you kill the man I love. He saved me from so much, including the man at my feet."

Sofya looked down briefly, though her aim remained steady and accurate on Callen, whose heart had skipped a beat at her admission.

"You could have told me who my father was you know," Lucy told Sofya. "Could have saved me a whole lot of trouble. You know he wanted to kill me. That's what he was going to do. He had the gun to my head and all."

"Why would I tell you?" Sofya asked. "I was nineteen. It was just one night. He didn't mean anything."

"Well apparently you weren't nothing, because he recognised me." There was something that had been bothering Lucy for a while and she finally remembered. "Anyway, how did you find me?"

Sofya looked down at Lucy like she was a small child who needed placating and Callen saw the tension in Lucy increase at that demeaning action.

"Considering who I am, which you obviously now know," Sofya said, "do you really think that I wouldn't have a way of tracking you if something happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"You have a tracking chip in you. That scar on your hip. The one that sets off the metal detectors."

"That's from the car accident when I was six. The doctors missed a small piece and I didn't want to go into the hospital again."

"Yes, that is what I told you. Do you remember why we had the accident?"

Lucy thought back, she didn't really remember what had actually happened, just what she had been told. "You told me it was a drunk driver."

"No, I was running with you," her mother corrected her. "Someone had threatened to harm you and whilst the rest of my team hunted them down, I took you and ran, only they followed us and that was when the accident happened. After that, I made sure I could find you if someone did manage to get you."

What else in her life wasn't as it seemed? She'd never thought there was any danger around her as a child.

"So why come looking for me now?" Lucy couldn't make sense of this yet.

"Someone checks up on you periodically for me. Imagine my horror when I found out you were involved with _him._"

"So you came back for him, not for me?" she asked. Why did that realisation have to hurt so much? Her mother hadn't wanted her for who she was, neither had her father. Was there something wrong with her?

"I wasn't going to let him get his hands on my daughter." Sofya's words pulled Lucy away from those miserable thoughts. "I also have a score to settle. He," Sofya indicated Callen, "tried to kill me. I intend on doing the same, only I won't miss."

Lucy took two more unsteady steps toward Callen. She was almost next to him. One more and she'd be in front, protecting him, but she needed to stop. Her mother had turned into five people and the room came close to spinning like an amusement park ride. When there were only three of her mother, she re-aimed at the middle one.

"Mikeyla," her mother warned again.

"No. You hurt him and I will hunt you down," Lucy promised.

There was a determination in her voice that she could hear and was sure everyone in the room would know that her threat was true, not just some desperate attempt to have her mother change her mind. Deep inside she knew that there wasn't anything wrong with her. G wanted her for her, even when he found out who she really was and who her parents were. He still wanted her. Just like she had still wanted him and this relationship. He was worth fighting for. And she would fight, until her heart stopped beating.

"I will use everything I have and I will find you and I will kill you," she continued. "You know I will. All you have to do it think about who my parents are and think about how stupid you were mixing Russian terrorist and Italian Mafia in the one body. I owe him my life, he has my heart and I protect him with my own."

"You love him?"

"Yes." She hadn't told him that yet. She'd have to fix that soon.

Her mother eyed Callen for a moment. With some unnoticed signal the rest of her team put down their weapons and some of them slipped into the shadows. Lucy heard both Callen and Deeks let out a small sigh of relief.

"You have reprieve Agent Callen, just one," Sofya told him. "You interfere in my business or anything in my country again, I will kill you. And it won't matter how much my daughter pleads for your life. And if you hurt her -"

"Don't Mother," Lucy interrupted harshly. "Not unless you are willing to have the same applied to you. You're the one who let me think you had died, made me grieve for you."

Her mother looked at her for a moment before she nodded and then she disappeared into the shadows along with her remaining team members.

Lucy lowered the gun slowly, the adrenaline suddenly dropping and she felt herself start to fall to the ground. Deeks grabbed the gun that was slipping out of her fingers and Callen caught her. She looked into Callen's eyes, so blue and smiled. Her head was spinning and hurting and she wanted to close her eyes, wanted to try and forget what had just happened. But the sight before her eyes was one she wasn't willing to let go of.

"You know," she said softly, as Callen lowered them down to the floor so she wouldn't fall. "I've changed my mind."

"About what?" Callen asked. He kept one arm around her where they sat and his other hand quickly ran over her trying to check for injuries without hurting her.

"You rescuing me. You can do it anytime."

Callen smiled back. "Good. Cause if you need it, I intend on doing it. Though I think we might be even for this little scenario."

"Mika?" Deeks knelt down beside her. "Where do you hurt? Don't hold back, hun. We need to know."

Lucy nodded. "Ribs, head – pretty much all of it. Stomach, arm, shoulder and knee."

It surprised Callen that she had been so forthcoming. She'd answered Deeks like it was a simple question whereas he would have been playing most of it down to make sure his partner and friends weren't too worried. He had a horrible feeling that they had been through this before. And to be honest, he wasn't really sure he wanted to know that for a fact.

"Sounds like he got you good," Deeks confirmed.

"Yeah," Lucy said softly. "My heroes. Thank you both," she added looking between them.

"Always happy to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress," Deeks joked, though Callen could see the worry in his eyes. "Now if only said damsel would let me buy her a drink."

"Deeks," Callen warned.

Lucy chuckled softly but stopped and winced at little at the movement. "You know why Deeks."

"Yeah, but you let him buy you a drink. What do I have to do to win you over?"

Callen could hear the teasing in Deeks' voice and it suddenly made sense what he was doing. He was trying to help her forget just for a little bit. That was probably a good thing, considering how much pain she was likely to in right now. He wasn't sure of the exact nature of her injuries but given the bruising on her face and the pain in her voice he could hear and what she had told Deeks, it must be pretty bad.

"G!"

Callen raised his head and looked up to see Sam and Kensi above them. He heard footsteps and looked around to see the support team surrounding them.

"We're okay guys. It's over."

"Ambulance is on its way, G. ETA three minutes."

"Good." Callen looked down at Lucy. "How do you want to do this? You want to walk or me to carry you?"

"There's stairs, maybe I should try walking."

Deeks held out a hand to help her up and she took it. Deeks pulled very gently whilst Callen helped her stand up from where he was still seated. He followed quickly and put his arms around her when she swayed violently.

"Maybe carry," she admitted in a soft voice.

"So Mika, you never answered my question."

Lucy looked at Deeks and smiled. "You really want to know why I let G buy me a drink but not you?"

"Yep."

Lucy glanced at Callen and grinned a little, despite the pain she was in, before turning back to Deeks. "Did you consider that, whilst I don't want you to take advantage, I don't mind if he does?"

Kensi and Sam started laughing. Deeks' mouth dropped open briefly in shock and Callen tried hard not to laugh because he was holding Lucy close and didn't want the movement to hurt her.

"Mika," Deeks placed his hand over his heart. "You wound me."

"You'll get over it Deeks. The first blonde, brunette, raven or redhead who looks your way and smiles will heal up that wounded pride as if it had never been damaged."

Deeks turned and looked at Kensi. "What do you say Kiki? Up for a bit of wound healing?"

Kensi rolled her eyes and refused to smile. "In your dreams Deeks."

"Oh darlin', you have no idea how often you enter my dreams."

Callen heard the sirens. "Let's go," he said quietly to Lucy and carefully picked her up. She groaned at the movement. "Luce?"

"Hurts, but I'll be fine."

Callen moved carefully and managed to get them up the stairs before she begged to be put down. Her breathing was harsh and rapid and, when he eased up his hold to let her stand up, she almost collapsed. He caught her before she did and lowered her back down to a sitting position on the floor.

"Deeks, get them to come get her. She's not going anywhere like this." Deeks disappeared quickly to get the paramedics.

"Luce, you're going to be okay."

"Everything hurts."

Callen brushed the hair off her face before he cupped her cheek.

"I know, but you're safe. We'll get you to the hospital, they'll fix you up. You are going to fine."

Callen wasn't entirely sure who he was reassuring the most. She didn't look so good. She was pale and he could feel her shaking.

"I know."

"Really?" Her answer had taken him by surprise.

Lucy smiled at him. "Yeah. I owe you a weekend. One I am very much looking forward to, though not sure when I'll be up for it. I'm a little afraid something might be broken."

Callen gently stroked her cheek, avoiding the nasty bruise that was already forming. "I can hope nothing is broken but I can wait."

They looked at each other for a moment before she spoke again.

"G?" Her voice was soft and nervous.

"Yeah?" He was curious.

"I love you."

Before Callen had a chance to respond, Deeks came hurrying in with the paramedics and the moment was lost as they carefully put her on the stretcher and started assessing her injuries on the way out. He'd have to come back to that later.


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N - Not sure the plot bunnies co-operated with the editing on this one but wanted to get it out and posted. Hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o

**Chapter 19**

"What's taking them so long?" Callen grumbled at Sam. He was impatient, agitated and the only thing he wanted was to see Lucy and make sure she was okay. They'd been waiting for hours. Or at least it seemed that way to him.

"I don't know," Sam answered.

Callen started pacing.

"Callen, she'll be fine," Deeks assured him.

Callen stopped and looked across at the LAPD Detective. "How can you be sure?" he asked. There was such confidence in Deeks' tone.

Deeks stood up and walked over to him. "Because I've seen her worse."

"When?" Callen wasn't sure whether to feel relief or horror at Deeks' statements.

"She was up here looking for someone once."

"The murder investigation?" he asked.

"Yeah." Deeks nodded. "By the time I got there, she was…" He stopped and Callen had the distinct impression that Deeks didn't want to talk about it.

"It looked worse than it was but it was still pretty bad and she was shaken. Bruised, battered, cut and bleeding."

Callen remembered the scars he hadn't asked her about and had a feeling that Deeks' description was on the rather positive side of what it had really been like.

"She pulled through though," Deeks continued. "She lost a fair bit of blood but we got her to the ER in time. She bounced back quite quickly actually. Was back at work about six weeks later. They had a bit of trouble keeping her out of the field for the length of time the doctor ordered."

"She is determined," Callen commented. He remembered she hadn't wanted the drugging incident to stop her from working. She said it was too important. Callen mentally rolled his eyes as that connection finally clicked in his head as to why work was so important.

"Sounds a bit like you G," Sam said, who'd joined them. "Going back to work before the doctor clears you."

Callen tried not to roll his eyes at Sam's comment.

"Look Callen," Deeks said pulling Callen's attention away from Sam. "She might not be the toughest kid on the block, but she's not going to let this beat her."

"That's good to know Deeks, but why is this taking so long?"

"Because, Mr Callen, I asked for a thorough and complete check-up."

They all turned at the sound of Hetty's voice behind them.

"It is what I tend to do for all of my agents when they are badly injured. As you would know Mr Callen, if you ever followed my instructions and went to the hospital when you were injured rather than treat yourself."

"I go to the hospital Hetty," Callen protested.

"Yes, usually though you aren't conscious at the time," Hetty countered.

"Hetty, Lucy's not yours though," Callen said. Technically she was San Diego's responsibility. Not that he was complaining about Hetty taking care of her but chain of command would suggest that now the mission was over, Lucy's boss would be giving the orders.

Hetty looked at Callen for a moment, her mouth held firm. "Close enough," she told him. "Miss Davis also requested that the micro-chip her mother had implanted in her be removed, which is also being taken care of at the moment. News shouldn't be much longer."

Callen nodded, relieved that there was a reason for the long delay. He turned to go sit down and try to wait patiently.

"Miss Lange," came a male voice from behind them.

They all turned.

"Dr Wilkins, have you any news on my agent?"

Callen couldn't help the smile that came to his lips at the possessive tone to those two words, _my agent, _from Hetty.

"I do." The doctor looked around at the three men and two women standing before him.

"Dr Wilkins," Hetty said in the tone that nobody dared argue with. "She has no other family except us."

"Very well. She has a hairline fracture to two of her ribs. Six to eight weeks for that to heal properly. She's badly bruised in places – Her shoulder, ribs, the side of her head and jaw. Thankfully the jaw wasn't broken. She also severely bruised her knee, possibly more but we won't know the full details until the swelling goes down and the damage is able to be assessed. There are signs of a mild to medium concussion and we have removed the chip as she requested. The graze on her arm was superficial and, whilst she might end up with a scar from it, it won't be too bad."

"So she's going to be all right?" Callen asked.

"She should make a full recovery."

There was a collective sigh of relief from the team.

The doctor continued. "There's nothing that suggests permanent damage, though she will most likely require some physiotherapy on the knee. The remaining injuries should heal in their own time with adequate rest. We'll keep her here overnight at least and see how she is responding in the morning before we make a decision on sending her home."

"Thank you Doctor Wilkins. Can we see her now?" Hetty asked.

"Soon," the doctor agreed. "The nurses are just getting her settled in her room and then you can go in. We have given her something for the pain so you may find that she falls asleep shortly. She's in room 246. Do you need directions?"

"No," Hetty replied for them. "It is unfortunate but I do know my way around the hospital."

"Very well. Five minutes and she should be ready for you." With that the doctor walked away.

"Shall we?" Hetty suggested indicating the direction they should go. The team followed the little woman along the corridor and waited in silence outside the room until the nurse let them in.

During that time Callen's mind wandered as he tried to figure out exactly what it was he felt for Lucy. He knew it was a lot more than his average interest, he'd known that from the beginning. She said she loved him. Deeks said she loved him. Is that what he felt for her? Did he love her, or did he just really like her? He knew his physical reaction to her was strong; a stronger attraction than he'd felt in a very long time. That certainly wasn't the issue. It was the rest that was worrying him. Was he really the kind of guy who could give her what she deserved? Was he able to love her?

"Mr Callen?" Hetty's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sorry Hetty."

"Are you coming in with us?"

Callen glanced around and saw that Sam, Deeks, Kensi and Hetty were standing and looking at him expectantly.

He stood. "Of course."

They all went into the room but Callen lingered back just inside the door. Not because he didn't want to see her, but there was a part of him that wanted to wait until it could just be the two of them to talk to her. There last conversation was still fresh in his mind and he knew she deserved some response to it. Though he still had no idea what he would say to her. As the others moved closer to the bed Callen looked at her properly and he felt a flood of rage run through him at what Marino had done to her.

"Hey Mika," Deeks said quietly. "Doc says you're going to be fine."

"Yeah," Lucy replied just as quietly. She wasn't looking at Deeks though. She was focused on Callen and he didn't know what to say, but he did move over to the bed and took her hand gently in hers.

"Hi," he said softly.

"Well, now that we have seen for ourselves that you are doing well," Hetty said. "We'll be on our way. Follow the doctor's orders Miss Davis, to the letter, or you will have me to answer to," she added firmly.

Lucy smiled slightly. "Yes Ma'am." Her eyes were still focused on Callen and he could see she was close to falling asleep but desperately trying not to.

The rest made a move to the door.

"Marty," Lucy managed to call out before he walked out the door and pulled her gaze from Callen.

Deeks turned around.

Lucy smiled. "You can buy me that drink if you want."

Deeks looked a little stunned but came out with an appropriate Deeks'ish comment.

"Does that mean?" He lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

"Deeks." Lucy's tone warned him off.

Deeks grinned. "You're just saying that now because you know if I try anything Callen will beat the crap out of me."

Lucy laughed a little but it stopped quickly as she winced in pain. Callen's hand tightened on hers. "No Marty. You've earnt it … Well and truly," she told him.

Deeks looked at her for a moment. "Maybe one day. For now we're good." He smiled and left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

Lucy turned her gaze back to Callen who was still standing next to her holding his hand.

"G?"

"Hey Luce." He reached behind him and pulled up the chair and sat down next to her. He didn't let go of her hand.

She looked at him like she wasn't sure of what she was about to say.

"Thank you. For rescuing me."

He was sure that wasn't what she was thinking about.

"Anytime." He kissed the backs of her fingers and watched her eyes drift closed at the touch. Opening them seemed hard. Callen moved and brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead. "Sleep Luce. I promise I'll keep you safe. I'll be here when you wake up."

She smiled slightly and stopped trying to open her eyes. It wasn't long before she was asleep.

About half an hour later Sam came back with some lunch for them both. They sat quietly and ate. When they were finished, Callen turned to Sam.

"How did you know you had the right one? When did you know you were in love with your wife?"

"Love? G Callen using the L word? This is big."

"Sam."

Callen saw Sam's demeanour change as he realised just how serious Callen was.

"G. I can't tell you how you'll know if that's what you are asking," Sam said. He leant forward and looked Callen right in the eye, letting Callen see that what he said next was true. "It's different for everyone. I knew my wife was the one for me when she told me off. Can't actually remember what she said. I was too floored by the fact that she wasn't scared of me and that suddenly all I could think about doing was kissing her. We'd known each other most of our lives but she was just the little sister of a friend, until that day."

"She told you off? That's how you knew?" Callen didn't quite understand.

"It wasn't so much that she told me off. More that she was just herself, that she wasn't one of those girls who would fawn over a guy and tell him he was wonderful and strong and brave and all that kind of stuff. Or batter her eyelashes at you. Got to admit it was a slight shock. Wasn't used to that. She told me what she really thought of me."

"Which was?" Callen asked.

Sam smirked and shook his head, sitting back in his chair again. "None of your business G." Sam studied him for a moment. "You think you might love Lucy?"

Callen shrugged. "I don't know. I know that the thought of something happening to her and her not being in my life is more terrifying than anything I can think of at the moment. I miss her when she's not there. I feel normal when we're together, just like a normal guy. One who actually is interested in having a life outside of work."

"That's a good start. G, you're the only one who can tell if she's the one. Just don't do it with your head."

"Meaning?"

"Wouldn't want you to over-think something that should be simple. So how 'bout you tell me about number nine instead?"


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N - Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy this flashback. _

_P.S - Is it just me or has FF dropped the spellcheck option?  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o

**Chapter 20**

_Flashback - Meeting No: 9 - Thursday Day 35_

"Come on, G. You were supposed to figure out Hetty's present this year," Sam complained.

Callen glared at Sam. "It's not as if I'm not trying. Can I help it that the woman is impossible-"

"Most women are at some point Mr Callen. Is there a particular woman you are having trouble with?" Hetty asked from behind.

"Just his latest girlfriend," Sam answered for him. Callen's eyes narrowed at Sam before he changed his expression to something more neutral and turned around to look innocently at Hetty, taking Sam's lead reluctantly.

Hetty looked at him and waited.

"Don't know what to get her for her birthday," Callen finally replied.

"Perhaps you should ask her. Have you known her long?" Hetty enquired.

"Five weeks," he admitted. This was more than he wanted Hetty to know about his life outside work.

"Not very long then," Hetty mused. "I would suggest, if you are having trouble, you ask. I find it usually takes men a couple of years to really understand what the women in their lives want. Of course," she conceded with a smile. "You are the exception Mr Callen. You have ways of understanding others that are unique and I am sure your talents will help in this matter." Hetty turned to go but briefly paused and turned her head back to him. "Though you can never go wrong with a nice piece of jewellery in a pretty box, assuming you are serious about her."

Callen shot Sam another glare as Hetty continued on her way.

"What? You really want me telling Hetty you don't know what to get her?" Sam pointed at the retreating back of said impossible woman.

"Did you really have to bring-" Callen stopped abruptly when Sam cocked an eyebrow in anticipation. He shook his head. He'd managed to keep Lucy's name out of their conversations so far, he wasn't about to slip up and give Sam more ammunition for teasing.

"Look, I'll figure it out."

"By Monday?" Sam asked.

"This Monday?" he asked.

Sam nodded in confirmation.

Callen was in trouble. He could feel it. He had thought he still had another week up his sleeve. He rested his head back against his chair, looked at the ceiling and thought for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Then he smiled.

"G?" Sam queried when Callen lifted his head and Sam noticed the smile.

"Just going to follow Hetty's suggestion."

"Jewellery? I don't think Hetty was meaning for her."

Callen shook his head. "Ask her."

"Hetty?" Sam looked shocked at the possibility that Callen would actually brave Hetty and ask her what she wanted.

"Nope." Callen picked up his phone and dialled Lucy's number, whilst Sam looked on curious.

"Hi," she answered softly. "Please tell me you're downstairs waiting."

Callen frowned and spun around in his chair so he wasn't facing Sam. There was something in her voice; a desperation that wasn't normal.

"Missed me, have you?" he asked. He listened carefully to her response, hoping to hear he had been wrong.

"You know I do. It's been too long since I saw you."

Callen let out a silent sigh of relief when he only heard mischievousness in her tone.

"It was only Sunday," he told her with a smile. So four days was a while, wasn't like it was only yesterday.

"Yeah and? I've been missing you since I got out of the car. So please, are you downstairs?"

"No," he answered frowning again as that desperation seeped into her voice.

"Okay. So why are you calling me?"

"Missed you," Callen added. He heard Sam behind him snort and turned around and shook his head at his partner, whilst pointing to indicate he wanted Sam to leave. Sam shook his head and went back to pretending, badly, to be involved in paperwork. Callen turned away again.

"And?" Lucy prompted.

"I need a favour," Callen admitted. "It's my boss' birthday Monday. I'm in charge of a present and have no idea what to get her."

"Her?"

"Yeah," Callen confirmed.

"What does she like?"

"She's ..." He paused as he tried to figure out how to explain Hetty to someone who had never met her. "Not typical. Need something different, unusual or unique."

"So you really have no clue as to what your boss likes?"

"You'd need to meet her to understand."

"Will I get the chance?"

"Don't want to scare you off," Callen told her honestly. Revealing Hetty would certainly reveal that things weren't quite right. Hetty didn't really seem the type to be involved in the construction industry.

"Hold on a sec," she said. He heard the press of buttons and the music start as she put him on hold.

Callen waited patiently and she was back before the first song had finished.

"I know a place that might be good. Can you meet me here at four? I can get off early and take you there."

"Your boss is letting you off early?"

"I'll work through lunch, since you aren't here," she told him.

"I'll be there," Callen promised.

"Bye," she said softly.

"Bye."

"So?" came Sam's voice right behind his chair.

Callen turned around and eyed Sam. "Eavesdropping?"

"Just want to make sure you've got things under control."

"Always. But you are going to have to cover for me this afternoon. I'll need to out of here by three thirty."

"To?"

"Find the perfect present for..." Callen paused briefly and checked, before lowering his voice and continuing, "Hetty."

"You better," Sam warned him. "Cause you know what Kensi will do to you if you don't come through. Remember you have to top what she did last time. The boys must come out on top."

Great, now not only did he have to come up with something for Hetty, it had to be better than what Kensi chose last time, which was... oh yeah, that ancient tea pot that was apparently used by an 17th or 18th Century Queen of France once, or something like that anyway. He was in more trouble than he first thought.

~~~~~~o

Three thirty rolled around quickly. With a nod to Sam, Callen grabbed his things and glanced around for Hetty. Seeing no sign of their diminutive leader, he started to slip away.

"Mr Callen, a moment before you leave," Hetty said as she stepped out from around a corner.

"Hetty, I-"

Hetty put her hand up to stop him. "I understand you do not have a lot of time to shop. I am not going to stop you leaving early, assuming the report that I requested is currently residing on my desk."

"It is," Callen assured her, having put it there himself, fifteen minutes ago.

"Good. Now, have you managed to come up with an idea for your current flame?" Hetty enquired, looking at him over the top of her glasses.

"I think I'm on the right track, Hetty." Assuming you actually let me go, he added silently.

"If you need more advice, I am happy to assist. Although perhaps Miss Blye might be more help being closer in age."

"I'll keep that in mind," Callen said hoping he was good enough to hide his impatience from her eagle eye.

"Off you go then Mr Callen." Hetty smiled knowingly, which for some reason made Callen feel like she knew what he was up to. "I hope she knows what a lucky woman she is. Not too many men would leave work or care about getting the perfect present," Hetty added.

Callen didn't say anything more, just smiled at her and walked away, mentally crossing his fingers that he could get out the door before Hetty thought of anything else he should have done before leaving for the day.

Lucy was waiting out the front of the office building when he pulled up and she jumped into the car quickly. She leant over and kissed him.

"Hmm," she said, running her tongue over her lips. "So worth asking the boss to leave early."

"Where to?" Callen asked, pulling his mind away from kissing her again.

"Go straight up, turn left in a couple of blocks, right, then left and we should be there. I'll let you know when," she said.

They pulled up shortly at a shop called 'Amanda's Treasures and other Weird Stuff'.

"You think I'll find something here?" he asked disbelievingly. Lucy smiled at him.

"Trust me, G. This place is, well if you want something off the wall, they'll probably have it."

She stepped out of the car and when he didn't move, she leant back down, distracting him slightly with a view straight down her shirt.

"G, I'll make it worth your while. I will even cook you dinner," she said. "Come on, they close at five."

Callen got out and joined her, his arm draping over her shoulder to keep her close. They walked through the door and he had a quick look around. Weird was putting it mildly, but overall it looked like a pretty unique place, which at least matched the woman he was looking for something for. They spent about half an hour browsing, laughing over some of the things and rolling their eyes at others. Then Callen found the perfect gift. A signed copy of "The Voice of Frank Sinatra" album. It was entirely possible Hetty already had it, but he didn't care. He felt it. It might not be fancy, but it would hit the sentimental spot. This would definitely top the teapot.

They stopped by the beach on the way back to her apartment. She said work had been rough and just wanted to relax.

Lucy slipped off her shoes and almost skipped down to the water. Callen just watched. She turned back to him and beckoned him to come down and join her. He shook his head and smiled. He was enjoying watching her too much. He liked seeing her happy like she was right now. He was still curious about what he had heard in her voice on the phone earlier, but whilst she was like this, he'd let it go.

Lucy pulled a disappointed face at him and turned back to the water. Callen watched as the breeze tugged at her hair and she reached up to let it free from the clips that were holding it back. She alternated between splashing around in the water's edge and just standing there looking out at the ocean before she came back to him. She stopped briefly to examine and pick up something from the sand. She almost bounced over to him in excitement and showed him what she'd found. It was a shell.

"It's perfect," Lucy said, a touch of awe in her voice. "Not a chip or crack in it. I haven't found one like that in ages," she added as she sat down next to him.

"You looked like you had fun." Callen looked her over from where he was resting back on his elbows. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes sparkly and she was still smiling.

"I did, thank you. Why didn't you join me?"

"I was having fun," he replied. Lucy eyed him off suspiciously, obviously not believing him.

"I was enjoying watching you," Callen told her. "You're not usually so child-like."

"You think I'm a child?"

"No." He definitely didn't think she was a child, especially when she looked at him like she was right now. "You were just happy, like a child would be who nothing to worry about."

Something about what he said, made her expression drop slightly, but before he could ask about it, she smiled and leant close to him, brushing her lips over his, before looking intently at him.

"I'm still happy, just not with child-like thoughts. Take me home? I promised I'd make you dinner, maybe even work out something enjoyable for dessert."

Callen wasn't entirely sure that she was planning food for dessert, but either way, it was appealing. Whether he was ready for a non-food orientated dessert was an entirely different matter that he would figure out later. He stood up and reached for her hand. Carefully, Lucy placed her perfect shell in one hand and reached up to him with the other. He pulled her easily to her feet and they turned and walked slowly back to the car.

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_A/N2 – and now we are back to the beginning because after said dinner is the events of the prologue!_


	21. Chapter 21

_A/N - Only epilogue to go after this. Thanks so much for the continued support. Hope you enjoy this one.  
_

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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_

**Chapter 21**

"So if that was number nine …." Sam trailed off and narrowed his eyes at Callen. "You two haven't…"

Callen chuckled. "No Sam, we haven't. We've been on the run since."

"You played me," Sam accused him.

"Yep."

"Did you have fun?"

"Yep."

Sam shook his head. "G. Whilst I might not be able to tell you whether you love her or not. I'm pretty sure I can say that you think she is someone special."

Callen glanced over at the bed and the woman lying on it. "She is, Sam."

"So what are you going to do about her?"

Deeks walked in at that moment. "Well, whatever it is he better not hurt her."

Callen and Sam looked at Deeks. Sam raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Is that a warning Deeks?" Callen asked.

"Does it need to be?" Deeks countered. Callen waited. "Treat her right Callen. I won't let anyone hurt her. I don't care if it's you and I don't care if I lose my job. She's deserves someone decent."

Callen lifted his eyebrows and stared at Deeks whilst Sam chuckled.

Deeks threw up his hands, almost in defeat. "You know, this just isn't working is it? You're not taking me seriously," he said. "Sam, back me up here! You like Mika – Lucy, whatever you want to call her, right? You don't want to see her hurt either. Callen listens to you."

Sam cocked an eyebrow and snorted at the last part of Deeks ramble whilst Callen looked on in amusement, not quite believing this conversation was taking place. He was actually starting to wonder if he had fallen asleep in his chair and was dreaming. Deeks warning him off, yeah he could buy that, but not trying to pull Sam into it.

"G?" Sam commented, disbelief in his tone. "Listen to me? What world are you livin' in Deeks?"

"Sam," Deeks pleaded.

"Nope." Sam shook his head. "Not warning him off. You see Deeks, I've been waiting a long time for him to find a good girl. Not gonna do anything to jeopardise it now he's found one."

With that, Sam winked at Callen and left the room. Deeks looked at Callen, obviously slightly miffed that Sam hadn't backed him up.

"Still stands Callen. Even if I'm on my own. Don't hurt her." Deeks held out the coffee in his hand. "Brought this for you. Thought you might need it."

Callen took it and Deeks turned and walked out the door without another word.

"G."

His name being called quietly from the bed had Callen turning around quickly.

"Hey." He smiled. "You're awake." He stepped over to the bed, putting the coffee down before taking her hand in his.

"Yeah. Marty, he … he means well. He's just a little protective."

"I know." As amusing as the conversation was, Callen did know Deeks meant what he said.

"So what's the verdict?" Lucy asked softly.

"Rest and some physio and you should be as good as new. It'll take a while before the rib heals though. There's a hairline fracture."

"Better than I'd hoped. I was sure it would be worse. The chip?"

"Micro-chip is gone and they are going to keep you in tonight at least."

Lucy nodded. "Guess this means I'm heading back home after this. I don't have an apartment here anymore."

An odd feeling settled in Callen's stomach at the thought of her returning to San Diego. It wasn't that far away – two or three hour drive. He'd still be able to see her.

She looked up at him from the bed, her blue and green eyes catching his and he couldn't look away.

Moments from their relationship flashed through Callen's mind.

That first night when she'd wanted to take him home.

When he stopped things and why he had stopped them.

The way he felt when he heard her on the phone when she was sick.

The fear that settled in his stomach when he had noticed her eyes that night when she'd been drugged.

The feeling that her saying she trusted him had caused when she'd woken up and couldn't remember anything.

Waking up with her in his arms and the fact that he wanted to make this work; for it to be real.

The rage at what her father had done to her and how his heart had stopped briefly in his chest when he saw Marino raise his gun to her head.

How he didn't feel one sliver of regret or hesitation at putting a bullet in Marino's head to save her.

So many moments. All of that, plus not wanting to contemplate having a life without her.

Callen smiled at her and leant down to brush a soft kiss across her lips. He pulled back just far enough so he could look her in her eyes.

"I love you too, Luce."

Her eyes went wide in surprise and he took the opportunity to kiss her, carefully but with just enough of a hint of the emotion he felt that she would know he meant it, whilst being very conscious of her bruised face and jaw.

"G," she whispered when he pulled back.

"You don't have to go back straight away. You can stay with one of us until you're up for it."

"With you?" she asked, hope heavy in her voice.

"Probably be less tempting if you stayed with one of the others but if that's what you want, you can stay with me."

Lucy smiled. "I'll think about it. You might be right. Only so much temptation a girl can resist. And we already know I'm pretty hopeless at resisting you." She reached up and brushed her fingers over his cheek gently. "You should go home, get some rest."

"I-"

"Go G. It's been a rough couple of days and I'm safe. No one's after me anymore."

Callen reluctantly agreed. He did need a little sleep. "All right. But I'll be back soon."

"After you've slept."

"Not ordering me to have a shower as well?"

Lucy groaned softly. "I was trying not to think about you in a shower you know."

Callen grinned. "Sorry." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Just wait. One day."

Callen kissed her again. "Definitely."


	22. Epilogue

_A/N - Okay, so we made it to the end. Luckily before my plot bunnies went on a writing strike. Hopefully this won't disappoint, though I do realise that some of you might have wanted a little more. _

_Thanks so much for the support for this story it has been fun to write. _

_Disclaimer in Chapter 1_

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Epilogue

_Six weeks later_

Callen glanced across at the woman sleeping in the car next to him. He smiled. Lucy had returned to full-time work this week and she was shattered. She'd fallen asleep in the car within five minutes. And that suited his plans just fine. He had a surprise for her when he eventually woke her up.

She'd returned to a part time position at OSP three weeks after she'd left the hospital. The doctor had told her she'd be off active assignments for at least two months but probably closer to three. Her sick leave was supposed to last six weeks before she returned to desk duty, but the time off was driving her crazy. Though Callen had to admit the thought of her going back to work hadn't been something he wanted her to do so soon. Not because he didn't want her to work, but it would have meant her returning to San Diego. Except Hetty had stepped in and solved that problem.

Hetty had seconded Lucy from the San Diego office for a three month stint at OSP - on desk duties. Apparently somewhere in the archives Hetty had some files that she wanted added to the computer system that hadn't made it on yet. She thought it would be a good idea to use the secretarial skills Lucy possessed rather than let her be driven crazy with nothing to do, or try and return to work that she shouldn't be doing.

Callen was sure Hetty had pulled a few strings to get it done but they had both appreciated it. He had a feeling it was partly a thank you for the birthday present Lucy had helped him find. Apparently the record had more sentimental value than Callen had first thought, in that it had been Hetty's first one of Frank Sinatra's and her copy had been destroyed in a fire a long time ago. It had definitely beaten the teapot.

Lucy had jumped at the chance to stay in LA for a while longer. It gave the two of them a bit more time to develop their relationship and make sure they knew where it was going and figure out what was going to happen when she did eventually return to San Diego – though admittedly they hadn't gotten to that discussion yet. It also gave her a team who would look after her. She had decided to move in with Marty after a few nights at Callen's place. The temptation had been a little too strong and things had become heated which ended with her gasping in pain from her ribs and knee, leaving them both feeling guilty.

Callen pulled up quietly into the parking spot. He carefully lifted Lucy out of the car, trying not to disturb her sleep. He kicked the door closed and locked it, grateful for remote controls and central locking. He had plans for this weekend but her sleeping right now was the best thing for her. The first couple of weeks that she had returned to work, she'd only done two to three hours a day, but this week had been 9-5; perhaps a little sooner than she should have.

"Mmm, sorry," she mumbled in to his neck as he carried her inside. "Didn't mean to go to sleep."

"It's okay," he whispered. "Go back to sleep. I'll tuck you in."

Lucy shook her head against his shoulder. "No. Not sleep. Too early," she complained.

"Luce, you're tired." Callen carefully lowered her to her feet and held her up whilst he fished out the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. She blinked slowly as she opened her eyes to look at him.

"But-" She stopped as she looked around. Callen opened the door and ushered her inside before closing and locking it behind him.

After continuing to take in her surroundings for a few moments, Lucy turned to face him and he smiled. She looked a lot more awake now.

"You brought me back here," she said thoughtfully.

"Yes." Callen watched her carefully.

"One room or two?" she asked. She moved closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck.

Callen pulled her close and brushed a kiss across her cheek. "One." He looked in her eyes. "Unless you prefer two."

Lucy shook her head slightly. "One is perfect." She pulled herself higher and kissed him deeply.

Callen pulled back and she moaned and buried her head in his shoulder. Callen chuckled. He knew what this would remind her of.

"Luce," he said as he gently urged her head up. "Are you sure you are up for this?"

She knew what he was asking. It wasn't just because she was tired. Her ribs and knee had taken the longest to get better. She still had some problems with her knee but her ribs hadn't been hurting for a few days now and he wasn't the only one who had been thinking about this more often.

"I'm sure."

"One more question." Callen slid his hand to the back of her neck and tilted her head up. He moved his mouth close to hers, though not too close so he couldn't see her eyes. "Right time?" he asked softly.

She smiled and the blue and green in her eyes sparkled. "Right time," she whispered back before she closed the distance between them and there were no more words needed.


End file.
